What Schreiner MediPharm’s RFID-Embedded Label Launch at CPHI Frankfurt Means for Manufacturing

RFID chips and tags | Image Credit: © Albert Lozano-Nieto - stock.adobe.com

Schreiner MediPharm, a business unit of Germany-based Schreiner Group, is previewing a novel label option with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology that the company will showcase at CPHI Frankfurt 2025, to be held from Oct. 28–30 (1). According to an Oct. 8, 2025 press release, Schreiner MediPharm says the label, which is branded “Cap-Lock,” is designed to provide optimal protection for syringes, increasing digitalization and efficiency.

How do the label and RFID functionality work?

Among other solutions Schreiner MediPharm plans to display at the conference, the Cap-Lock labels will be presented in combination with SCHOTT Pharma’s infuse cyclic olefin copolymer syringes (1). This design, according to the press release, safeguards the integrity of the prefilled syringe until final use, replacing the usual blister pack with a sustainable alternative that reduces carbon dioxide and cost.

As for the RFID functionality, an embedded chip in the label provides a digital indication of first opening—which, especially for hospitals, will allow for automated tracking of syringe integrity until a medication is administered (1). The chip also automatically detects expired drugs and can be used to monitor potential misuse or diversions.

SCHOTT’s TOPPAC infuse, the brand name for its syringe in this collaboration with Schreiner MediPharm, has been nominated for a CPHI Pharma Award in the category of packaging and machinery (2). Winners will be announced at the conference’s opening ceremony on Oct. 28.

What further implications could this have for pharma?

In early-stage formulations, maintaining container integrity is crucial. The ability to digitally detect first opening, rather than relying solely on visual cues or audits, could help in monitoring whether samples have been compromised during transport or handling. Such monitoring is especially relevant in multi-site studies, cold-chain challenging payloads, or decentralized trials. Moreover, by substituting conventional blister packaging, the approach proposed by Schreiner MediPharm offers a more compact, possibly lower-thermal-mass solution, which can potentially be advantageous in cold-chain logistics and stability studies.

Regulators are increasingly emphasizing supply chain security, serialization, and anti-tampering measures, and so a label that integrates mechanical tamper evidence plus RFID-driven digital tracking may help manufacturers meet or exceed those standards. For good manufacturing practice operations, reliably embedding electronics into labeling without compromising sterility, compatibility (e.g., extractables and leachables), or process robustness will be key.

From a manufacturing perspective, such integrated smart labels must be robust enough to survive high-speed dispensing, capping, and downstream handling. Schreiner MediPharm claims that its technology is constructed to resist mechanical stress during production, thus preserving readability without inducing additional rejects or read failures (1). If validated at scale, that reduces the risk of lines being slowed or scrapped due to label reading failures.

However, adoption will require pharma manufacturers to evaluate whether their existing fill/finish lines can accommodate label placement, RFID encoding, reading, and verification infrastructure. The ROI will rest on reductions in packaging operations (e.g., eliminating blister packs), supply chain efficiencies (reduced returns waste, better inventory control), and enhanced patient safety or liability reduction.

Schreiner MediPharm’s booth at CPHI is No. 8.0B42, in Hall 8 (1).

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References

1. Schreiner Group. Cap-Lock Plus RFID: Schreiner MediPharm to Present Innovative Security Solution at CPHI Frankfurt 2025. Press Release. Oct. 8, 2025.
2. Mirasol, F. CPHI Frankfurt Reveals 2025 Pharma Awards Finalists for Bio/Pharma Development. PharmTech.com, Sept. 18, 2025.