Blockchain Enabled Applications by Vikram Dhillon & David Metcalf & Max Hooper

Author:Vikram Dhillon & David Metcalf & Max Hooper
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781484265345
Publisher: Apress

Complexity of data retrieval: The current model of data retrieval and compatibility with existing hospital systems is completely broken. Often times, hospitals are not synced up to the databases being used by pharmacies, and updating is an arduous task. Blockchain makes the process universal by providing a common backend to read for external services.

In this system, when a clinician writes a script for a prescription, the provider can check the blockchain to find the patient record for any currently active prescriptions. This can help the clinician determine whether the patient is asking for a prescription from multiple sources or whether another family member is getting the same prescription. An active prescription from a different provider would automatically invalidate the request for a new one, and this can be encoded in the network as a double-spending request. Otherwise, the transaction will go through and the pharmacy will receive a request to provide medication to the patient. The requesting provider and patient can sign the transaction, allowing for better tracking all the way through the care of a particular patient. Although this system seems simple, it fulfills most of the requirements for a Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)–compatible system that can be implemented across providers. There are some efforts under way by major blockchain players such as IBM and Deloitte blockchain lab to control the opioid over-prescription epidemic. Recently, some startups have sprung up that are focused solely on pharma drug tracking using the blockchain.

Even though supply-chain management fits the blockchain infrastructure most closely and out-of-box, this field is very new and the technology is immature. The future of drug tracking and open science looks much more promising with new technologies enabling layers of communication that were never possible before. Blockchain, if nothing more, has been an immense catalyst of new innovation in open scientific inquiry and discourse.

At the time of writing, US FDA is partnering with UCLA Health to launch a pilot study called BRUINchain. The results from this pilot were published in Blockchain for Healthcare Today, and we want to share some insights written by Ben Taylor from LedgerDomain in a blog post:

As part of a peer-reviewed study commissioned by the US FDA and published in Blockchain in Healthcare Today (https://doi.org/10.30953/bhty.v3.134), LedgerDomain and UCLA Health joined forces to deploy and test BRUINchain, a last-mile blockchain-driven solution used by real caregivers to help deliver lifesaving medications. The study is among the first of its kind to reveal exactly how blockchain could save pharmacies billions of dollars in labor and safety stock costs alone. In this post I’d like to reflect on the key takeaways from the study and how we can map them onto the new health landscape.

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