Blockchain in Healthcare Today

The Last Mile: DSCSA Solution Through Blockchain Technology: Drug Tracking, Tracing, and Verification at the Last Mile of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain with BRUINchain

2020-06-03T08:06:25-07:00

Purpose: As part of the FDA’s DSCSA Pilot Project Program, UCLA and its solution partner, LedgerDomain (collectively referred to as the team hereafter), focused on building a complete, working blockchain-based system, BRUINchain, which would meet all the key objectives of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) for a dispenser operating solely on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology.

Methods: The BRUINchain system requirements include scanning the drug package for a correctly formatted 2D barcode, flagging expired product, verifying the product with the manufacturer, and quarantining suspect and illegitimate products at the last mile: pharmacist to patient, the most complex area of the drug supply chain.

The authors demonstrate a successful implementation where product-tracing notifications are sent automatically to key stakeholders, resulting in enhanced timeliness and reduction in paperwork burden. At the core of this effort was a blockchain-based solution to track and trace changes in custody of drug. As an immutable, time-stamped, near-real-time (50-millisecond latency), auditable record of transactions, BRUINchain makes it possible for supply chain communities to arrive at a single version of the truth. BRUINchain was tested with real data on real caregivers administering life-saving medications to real patients at one of the busiest pharmacies in the United States.

Results: In addition to communicating with the manufacturer directly for verification, BRUINchain also initiated suspect product notifications. During the study, a 100% success rate was observed across scanning, expiration detection, and counterfeit detection; and paperwork reduction from approximately 1 hour to less than a minute.

Conclusions: By automatically interrogating the manufacturer’s relational database with our blockchain-based system, our results indicate a projected DSCSA compliance cost of 17 cents per unit, and potentially much more depending on regulatory interpretation and speed of verification. We project that this cost could be reduced with manufacturers’ adoption of a highly performant, fully automated end-to-end system based on digital ledger technology (DLT). In an examination of the interoperability of such a system, we elaborate on its capacity to enable verification in real time without a human in the loop, the key feature driving lower compliance cost. With 4.2 billion prescriptions being dispensed each year in the United States, DLT would not only reduce the projected per-unit cost to 13 cents per unit (saving $183 million in annual labor costs), but also serve as a major bulwark against bad or fraudulent transactions, reduce the need for safety stock, and enhance the detection and removal of potentially dangerous drugs from the drug supply chain to protect U.S. consumers.

Predictions for Blockchain in 2020

2020-06-03T08:06:25-07:00

During our 2019 ConVerge2Xcelerate (ConV2X) conference in Boston, we focused on the theme "Proving Market Value with Pragmatic Innovation in Healthcare" (see https://conv2x-2019.eventcreate.com/). This year, along with BHTY editorial board members, conference speakers were invited to join with Tory Cenaj, Publisher of BHTY, to contribute their expertise and share insights for the near-term landscape of blockchain in healthcare.

Blockchain, Interoperability, and Self-Sovereign Identity: Trust Me, It’s My Data

2020-06-03T08:06:27-07:00

No abstract available.

The business case for blockchain in health care — part I

2020-03-13T13:58:44-07:00

While an organization might want to focus on a specific emerging technology to solve a business probelm, strong organizations focus on an honest evaluation, internally and externally, to assure the timing and the business value for using the technology is in their best interest. This requires a solution set of knowledge, people, and methodologies coupled with products datas and tools.

The Era of Exponential Improvement in Healthcare?

2020-01-21T00:33:19-08:00

Building Blockchain powered Trusted Digital Health Services. Estonia

2020-01-21T00:32:12-08:00

Design Principles Of The Blockchain Network: Security, Scalability, And Sustainability By Design

2020-01-21T00:28:40-08:00

Validated Use Cases

2020-01-21T00:31:22-08:00

Blockchain-enabled Seamless Safe Notification Services

2020-01-21T00:27:22-08:00

Dawn of a New Decade: Looking Forward with BHTY

2020-06-03T08:06:26-07:00

In 2020, Blockchain in Healthcare Today (BHTY) begins its third year of publication. We thank our global community of passionate leaders and early adopters for their support and diligence in making technology innovation in healthcare attainable for both the healthcare consumers who are the key stakeholders in patient-centered care and the broader healthcare system.