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After teaming with IBM to pilot a blockchain initiative to strengthen safety in the food supply chain, Walmart is now considering doing the same for prescription drugs.
Walmart, IBM, Merck and KPMG announced Thursday that they have been appointed by the Food and Drug Administration to test a blockchain-based solution to identify, track and track drugs and vaccines distributed in the United States.
The effort stems from the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) passed in 2013. This law provides for the creation of an interoperable, electronic prescription drug monitoring system to help the FDA report potentially counterfeit drugs. stolen, contaminated or otherwise harmful. This system would also help detect and eliminate potentially dangerous drugs in the country's pharmaceutical supply chain.
In 2017, Walmart is joined to The Kroger Co. and food manufacturers and distributors to work with IBM on a blockchain system for strengthen security in the food supply chain. This collaboration led to the launch last fall of the IBM Food Trust network, a blockchain-based cloud service that allows retailers, suppliers, producers and service providers in the food sector to access data. of the entire food ecosystem, accelerate traceability and provide a better level of trust information.
"With successful blockchain drivers for pork, mangoes and leafy vegetables with improved traceability, we expect the same success and transparency in the biopharmaceutical supply chain, "said Karim Bennis, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Product Development. implementation for health and wellness at Walmart. "We believe that we need to go further than offering quality products that help our customers live better at low daily prices. Our customers must also know that they can trust us to guarantee the safety of the products. This pilot project and the requirements of the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act will help us achieve this goal. "
The projects expect IBM, Walmart, Merck and KPMG to develop a shared and authorized blockchain network for real-time drug monitoring. The companies said the network would allow faster tracking and tracing of stocks; timely recovery of reliable distribution data; more accurate information shared among members; and more transparency on the integrity of supply chain products, including the maintenance of drugs at the appropriate temperature.
"Blockchain could be an important new approach to further improve confidence in the biopharmaceutical supply chain," said Mark Treshock, health sector leader in the health and life sciences chain at IBM Global Solutions. "We believe this technology is an ideal use because it can not only provide an audit trail for tracking medication in the supply chain; he can follow who has shared data and with whom, without revealing the data themselves. Blockchain has the potential to transform the way pharmaceutical data is controlled, managed, shared and used throughout the life of a drug. "
The pilot project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2019 and the results will be published in a report from the FDA DSCSA program. At this point, project participants will evaluate the next steps.
"Our supply chain strategy, planning and logistics are built around the customers and patients we serve," said Craig Kennedy, senior vice president of supply chain at drug manufacturer Merck. "A reliable and verifiable supply helps to improve the trust of all stakeholders – especially patients – while strengthening the foundations of our business."
In a blockchain system, products are tracked throughout the supply chain and a digital record is created for each transaction or interaction. The IBM Food Trust network allows the source of food to be traced in seconds, instead of days or weeks, and provides better data integrity because transactions are approved by multiple parties.
"Blockchain's innate ability within a private network licensed to provide" immutable registration "makes it a logical tool to deploy to meet DSCSA compliance requirements," commented Arun Ghosh, KPMG Blockchain Leader. "The ability to leverage the existing cloud infrastructure makes the enterprise blockchain increasingly affordable and scalable, helping manufacturers, distributors, and drug distributors to achieve their safety goals." patients and integrity of the supply chain.
In addition to being the largest grocery retailer in the United States, with sales in excess of $ 184 billion, Walmart is the third largest pharmacy retailer in the country, with estimated earnings for prescription drugs of $ 20 billion. , $ 9 billion, according to the Drug Channels Institute.
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