A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Ethereum and Nexus Blockchain Platforms in Preventing Counterfeit Drugs

Abstract

The rise of counterfeit medicines poses serious health risks to the public and threatens the credibility of pharmaceutical companies. Blockchain technology is gaining attention for its potential to enhance the security and transparency of the pharmaceutical supply chain. This study compares the performance of two blockchain platforms, Ethereum and Nexus, in detecting and preventing counterfeit drugs. A virtual observation system was used to examine how Ethereum and Nexus addressed major challenges in counterfeit drug prevention. Two specialists with expertise in both blockchain technology and healthcare evaluated the platforms using two assessment tools: The Global Quality Scale (GQS) to measure overall effectiveness and the modified DISCERN scale to assess credibility of the information. Nexus outperformed Ethereum in both effectiveness and credibility. Evaluator 1 reported median GQS scores of 4.5 for Nexus and 3.8 for Ethereum, while Evaluator 2 reported scores of 4.2 and 3.8, respectively. These findings indicate that Nexus demonstrated higher efficiency in detecting fake drugs and ensuring supply chain integrity. Blockchain technology shows promise in strengthening pharmaceutical supply chain security. Between the two platforms studied, Nexus was found to be more effective than Ethereum in preventing counterfeit drugs. These results provide valuable insights for pharmaceutical stakeholders and policymakers seeking to implement blockchain-based solutions for drug tracking and security.