Blockchain-Based Supply Chain Traceability Framework for Pharmaceutical Products in Pakistan: A Conceptual Model

Abstract

This paper suggests a blockchain-based system that could be used to ensure that the pharmaceutical supply chain in Pakistan is more traceable and transparent. The existing fraudulent issues are counterfeit drugs (estimated 20-30% prevalence in the market) and the inability to track in real-time. The conceptual model combines hyperledger fabrics and the IoT sensors, and it allows recording drug manufacturing, transportation, and distribution impeccably. Smart contracts perform compliance checks and signal stakeholders on anomalous behaviours. The most notable ones are QR code-based product verification, temperature control of sensitive medications, and decentralized storage. The framework discusses the Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) guidelines of Pakistan to ensure that it complies with the serialization requirements. Interviews with the stakeholders reveal that they have found the system to be very useful (87.5%) and adoptable (75%). The implementation will cut counterfeits by 70 percent and enhance efficiency of the supply chain by 40 percent. Future The pilot installation will involve the pharmaceutical cluster in Karachi.