A Blockchain based Framework for Verifying Drug Authenticity

Counterfeit drugs are fake medicines that are potentially harmful for health. Safeguarding the integrity of pharmaceutical distribution plays a crucial role in preventing the circulation of counterfeit drugs. Traditional drug supply chain systems have no effective mechanism to ensure the traceability and integrity of the drug supply chain process. Various ICT-based solutions have been adopted previously and numerous regulations were passed by drug regulatory authorities to ensure interoperable and traceable drug distribution process. However, these solutions could not guarantee a tamper-proof history of supply chain process. Blockchain technology has gained traction in many diverse fields including real-estate, identity management, digital voting, healthcare, etc. Therefore, we have proposed a decentralized framework to insure the authenticity and traceability of the drugs. Moreover, this study presents an overview of how blockchain technology can be employed to counter the fake medicines circulation by embedding the traceability in drug supply chain process. Comparison of various blockchain-based solutions and open research challenges in this regard are also presented.