{"id":28400,"date":"2020-01-31T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T08:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/?p=28400"},"modified":"2020-01-29T15:14:07","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T15:14:07","slug":"edible-security-tag-could-someday-combat-fake-viagra-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/erectile-dysfunction\/viagra\/edible-security-tag-could-someday-combat-fake-viagra-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Edible Security Tag Could Someday Combat Fake Viagra Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers at Purdue University have come up with an edible security tag that could be embedded into a medication during production and later scanned to verify the drug\u2019s authenticity.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Counterfeit drugs are big business, enriching the coffers of fake pill manufacturers worldwide and threatening the health and security of vulnerable patients reliant on medications to treat medical problems of varying severity. Among the medications most widely counterfeited are erectile dysfunction drugs, especially Viagra.<\/p>\n

In response, manufacturers and regulators continue to search for new and innovative ways to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to dupe consumers.<\/p>\n

Purdue\u2019s New Security Tag<\/h3>\n

In a bold new initiative, researchers at Purdue University<\/a> have developed an edible security tag that can actually be embedded into every pill and capsule. Each tag would carry a unique pattern not fully visible to the naked eye.<\/p>\n

Such tags would be virtually impossible to duplicate and would incorporate an authentication technique known as \u201cphysically unclonable function,\u201d or PUF. The PUF technique was originally developed to safeguard the security of data and hardware.<\/p>\n

How Tags Work<\/h3>\n

According to a Purdue press release, PUF tags \u201chave the ability to\u00a0generate a different response each time that they are stimulated, rendering them unpredictable and extremely difficult to duplicate. Even the manufacturer wouldn\u2019t be able to re-create an identical PUF tag.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leading the research effort at Purdue is Young Kim, an associate professor at Purdue\u2019s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Kim and his colleagues are the first to create a PUF that is edible. Their PUF tag is \u201ca thin, transparent film made of silk proteins and fluorescent proteins genetically fused together.\u201d Made up entirely of proteins that are easily digestible, the tag on each pill or capsule can be safely consumed along with the rest of the medication.<\/p>\n

Random Patterns Generated<\/h3>\n

However, subjecting these PUF tags to various LED light sources causes the silk microparticles to generate a different random pattern each time. Researchers are also trying to develop a smartphone app that can shine an LED light on a PUF tag and snap a picture of it.<\/p>\n

The app would then extract digital bits from that image to produce a security key, which could be checked against the manufacturer\u2019s security key. This would allow both pharmacies and patients to verify that the medication they have is authentic and safe to use.<\/p>\n

Ordering ED Drugs Online<\/h3>\n

In the meantime, online consumers can best protect themselves from the threat of counterfeit medications by using only reputable prescription drug providers.<\/p>\n

One longtime online prescription drug service of unquestionable repute is eDrugstore.com, based in Tempe, Arizona. In business since the late 1990s, eDrugstore offers competitive prices and a full range of ED medications, including all brand-name and generic drugs.<\/p>\n

Prices at eDrugstore cover not just the drugs you\u2019re ordering but a number of added-value services as well. Shipping is free. And eDrugstore\u2019s complimentary online consultation service makes it easy to get a prescription even if you can\u2019t find the time to pay a visit to your doctor. Opt for this service, and eDrugstore will match you up online with a licensed U.S. physician. If the doctor finds that you\u2019re an appropriate candidate for an ED drug, a prescription will be authorized. To learn more, visit eDrugstore\u2019s Erectile Dysfunction page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Researchers at Purdue University have come up with an edible security tag that could be embedded into a medication during production and later scanned to verify the drug\u2019s authenticity.\u00a0 Counterfeit drugs are big business, enriching the coffers of fake pill manufacturers worldwide and threatening the health and security of vulnerable patients reliant on medications to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-viagra"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t