Exploring the use of blockchain technology to secure the drug supply chain against counterfeit medicines [Tim Mackey]
September 12, 2016

Tim Mackey‘s Challenge

Tim MackeyTimothy Ken Mackey is the Director of GHPi and an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Global Public Health at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Director for the UC San Diego MAS Program in Health Policy & Law. He earned his BA in Political Science-International Relations from the UC San Diego, a Masters Degree from UC San Diego MAS Program in Health Policy & Law, and his PhD in the Joint Global Public Health program with UC San Diego and San Diego State University. He has also completed an Executive Course in Global Health Diplomacy at the Graduate Institute, Geneva.

Problem Statement

Exploring the use of blockchain technology to secure the drug supply chain against counterfeit medicines

Why This Is Important

Counterfeit medicines are a serious public health problem and have infiltrated rich and poor countries alike. Even here in the USA, we do not have sufficient controls to ensure that patients are safe from counterfeit medicine penetration in our drug supply chain. Hence, a modernization of our drug supply chain is needed in order to ensure adequate track and trace of pharmaceutical products, enable interoperability across different supply chain actors, and provide needed security for e-pedigree solutions. Does blockchain represent a technology solution that can address this issue and if so, how?

Additional Resources

  1. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
    Counterfeit Drug penetration into Global Legitimate Medicine Supply Chains: A Global Assessment
  2. C-SPAN
    Counterfeit Prescription Drugs
  3. The Partnership for SAFE MEDICINES
    Dr. Tim Mackey Present GIS Research on Counterfeit Cancer Medication at Interchange 2014
  4. New Republic
    The World’s Medical Supply Chain is Riddled With Counterfeit Drugs
  5. UC San Diego Extension
    50 Voices of the Future: Tim Mackey’s Prescription for Global Health

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday (2 PM PDT to 3 PM PDT)

Contact Information: Email and Google Hangout: tmackeyucsd [at] gmail [dot] com

Twitter: @tkmackey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkmackey

Site: www.ghpolicy.org