FDA Approves Pilot Using Next-Generation Blockchain and IoT to Track Healthcare System Medicine Transfers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a multi-regional pilot studying the use of blockchain-enabled data technology to track and verify specialty prescription drugs, to ensure safety, enhance value and improve health outcomes.  The pilot consortium is comprised of Rymedi,Temptime/Zebra, Indiana University Health, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Good Shepherd Pharmacy and its RemediChain project, as well as the Center for Supply Chain Studies and the Global Health Policy Institute. The group will test implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), starting in August 2019.This pilot will focus on intra- and inter-health system medication transport and usage in North Carolina, Indiana and Tennessee, and studies the application of blockchain and IoT technology used to monitor specialty medication distribution across supply chains. Improved supply monitoring will enhance quality control of medicine, provide data for more targeted inventory and recall management and save lives.