Blockchain and IoT in Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

Abstract

Pharmaceutical drugs can be considered as one of the most important needs of human societies. The spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has dramatically increased the volume of drug exchanges and the role of pharmaceutical supply chains in society for providing drugs has become recognized, but one of the most important concerns in this area is trust and confidence to the authenticity of drugs. Developing an accurate system for tracking productions in pharmaceutical supply chains is necessary. These advances can be used for improving the quality of pharmaceutical supply chains. Using IoT, it is possible to track the status of productions in supply chains. Also, blockchain technology can be used for recording and sharing data transparently. So, this integration of IoT and blockchain technology can reduce concerns about the authenticity of drugs and prevent their distribution. Given the important role of medicine for improving the health of society, this chapter explores the role of IoT devices and blockchain in the successful development of pharmaceutical supply chains.