discussion about counterfeit medicines
Guys, I recently read that pharmacies are still selling counterfeit medicines, especially expensive cancer drugs. How can you tell the difference between the real thing and a fake? Is there a reliable way to check the supply chain for medicines so as not to risk the health of your loved ones?
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I completely agree with you, this is a huge problem, especially in countries where control is weak. I am a pharmacist with 12 years of experience, and lately I have been actively interested in blockchain specifically for tracking medicines. This technology allows you to create an immutable digital chain: from the manufacturing plant through distributors to the pharmacy, each stage is recorded in a distributed ledger. Patients can scan the QR code on the packaging and see the entire journey of the drug in real time. There are already projects where this has been implemented (for example, in India and some US states), and the percentage of counterfeits is falling dramatically. I highly recommend reading this article, which explains everything with examples: https://weelorum.com/blog/blockchain-in-healthcare-how-the-technology-is-applied/. It describes how blockchain is combined with IoT and smart contracts to completely close the gaps in supply.