In this article, Ruth Burstall and Birgit Clark of Baker McKenzie, London explore the various opportunities created by blockchain to enhance the supply chain control of pharmaceutical companies. Blockchain cannot only help with monitoring a pharmaceutical product’s progress through various stages, from sourcing the raw materials to manufacturing and supply chain, but it can also help with meeting regulatory traceability requirements, such as those under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in the United States and the EU Falsified Medicines Directive 2011/62/EU. The article also discusses how blockchain technology can be used to monitor and control leaks from selective distribution networks, to detect parallel imports, and help to identify counterfeit goods. This article was first published in the Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Oxford University Press 2018, Vol. 13, No. 7.
