A Blockchain-based Drug Traceability Solution: a Case of Drug Counterfeiting in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Abstract
In recent years, poor quality and counterfeit drugs have penetrated the Pharmaceutical Supply
Chain (PSC) at an increasingly alarming rate. One factor that has significantly contributed to this
surge of fake drugs in the supply chain is the lack of traceability. Therefore, a need arises for the
implementation of a solution that would ensure traceability i.e., the product’s journey would be
visible to all stakeholders within the supply chain. This paper aims to address this problem using
a blockchain network that accepts accurate tracking data for monitoring drug commodity
movement history. Blockchain allows for distributed peer-to-peer networks where non-trusting
members can interact with each other without a trusted intermediary, in a verifiable manner. It is
also immutable. Specifically, this study aims at enabling consumers to verify the provenance of
their medication.
An exploratory sequential design was adopted for this study. A non-probability sample
was used. Google forms were used to collect information from the respondents. A blockchain
prototype was developed using the Design Science Research Methodology. Then, virtual
interviews were conducted with participants to evaluate the system’s functionalities. The
developed system traced a given product using its unique ID back to the manufacturer. That way,
a product’s journey was transparent to all stakeholders within the supply chain. Feedback
obtained from respondents suggests that traceability is likely to greatly contribute to reduced
instances of counterfeit drugs in the market.
Publisher
university of nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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