A Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management using Blockchain and IoT

Abstract

Counterfeit drugs pose a significant and increasingly urgent global problem, jeopardizing the health of consumers and the general population. As drugs pass through various stages in the supply chain, from suppliers to manufacturers to distributors and retailers, the original manufacturers lose track of how their products are used, while consumers remain unaware of the legitimacy of the drugs they receive. This issue leads to substantial economic losses for manufacturing companies and countries. Ensuring the verification of medicine authenticity and monitoring temperature conditions would enable medical professionals and patients to discard ineffective or expired medicines. This article suggests leveraging blockchain technology to combat drug counterfeiting and enhance traceability, security, and visibility in the pharmaceutical supply chain. An experimental system built on Ethereum was implemented and its cost-effectiveness was evaluated. The study utilized a virtual IoT device through the Cooja simulator to monitor the storage conditions of medicines.