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Introduction
The motivation for undertaking this study was the simply overwhelming opportunity to improve the healthcare supply chain by looking at possibilities of exploiting RFID technology. With improvements, end customers and patients will receive better service while mistakes in treatment of patients or underutilization of equipment in the hospitals will be minimized. Many existing studies also suggest that proper management of RFID technology implementation may enhance healthcare services and products by lowering costs, improving the quality of care, and make patient care more reliable and consistent by properly managing and tracking information and material flows ([1] Angeles, 2005; [2] Bacheldor, 2007a; [15] Murphy and Kay, 2004; [17] O'Connor, 2007a; [16] Neil, 2005; [22], [23] Schwirn, 2006a, b; [28] Wang et al. , 2006; [26] Swedberg, 2007; [27] Thompson, 2004).
RFIDs, or radio frequency identification tags, are electronic chips embedded within or very near a product or shipment. They serve as a tool of remotely tracking supplies, equipment, and even people as they move through the supply chain from manufacturers to suppliers, wholesalers, hospitals, pharmacies, intermediaries, and end customers as well as their movement within a single firm ([3] Bacheldor, 2007b; [5] Bowersox et al. , 2007; [6] Chopra and Sodhi, 2007; [11] Glabman, 2004; [19] Riggins, 2006; [21] Sarma, 2004). There are two main types of tags, active and passive. Active tags constantly transmit radio signals so that a shipment or product can instantly be located in a warehouse or building. Active tags are generally known as Gen 2 tags and can usually be identified and categorized as any tag that is able to transmit a signal further than 3 meters. These tags very in price greatly depending on the requirements of use, but could be said to range from $0.50 to $50. Passive tags do not emit the radio signal, but respond to a RFID scanner when the product or shipment is placed through the scanning portal ([5] Bowersox et al. , 2007). These usually respond only to signals sent from less than three meters away. The costs of this type of tag are much lower and getting lower everyday. Costs can range from $0.05 to $0.50. Firms that require little information to be kept and updated as the product travels through the...