Application of blockchain and smart contracts in pharmaceutical cold chain : A systematic literature review

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to gain valuable insights on the use of blockchain technology and smart contracts in pharmaceutical cold chain systems. The study also intends to identify gaps in existing research on the subject and identifies the opportunities for future research on the same. These articles were selected after deployment of a rigorous filtration process in order to select the most suitable ones that are relevant to the deployment of blockchain and smart contracts in pharmaceutical cold chains. The articles were acquired from the SCOPUS database. This review provides information on the chronological development of the research on the topic by mentioning the trends or patterns related to the top journals, theories applied, methods used, countries of research authors, etc. The study also elaborates the limitations of the existing research papers on the topic and discusses the directions for future research. This article can be used by the future researchers as a summary of currently existing studies on the subject as well as for anyone wishing to actively utilize blockchain technology and smart contracts in the cold chain distribution of pharmaceutical products.