Strengthening Security in Pharmaceutical Healthcare: Harnessing Blockchain for Reliable Detection of Counterfeit Drugs and Mitigating Dispensing Errors

Abstract

Maintaining drug authenticity and quality across the pharmaceutical supply chain is a major challenge. Counterfeit medicines and prescription errors threaten patient safety and public health. To address this, we propose a blockchain-based framework using Ethereum, smart contracts, and QR codes. The system ensures secure monitoring from manufacturing to end-user delivery. Each drug is linked to a unique QR code enabling real-time tracking and ownership transfer. Pharmacies use QR verification to reduce human errors during medicine dispensing. Blockchain ensures transparency, data integrity, and resistance to tampering or hacking. Stakeholders benefit from improved trust and verifiable supply chain transactions. The framework enhances traceability and helps eliminate counterfeit medicines. Ultimately, it promotes a safer, more transparent, and trustworthy pharmaceutical ecosystem.