Blockchain Enabled Sustainable Pharmaceutical Supply Chain : A Model for Transparency and Waste Reduction

Abstract

One of the most complex and significant issues of healthcare is pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) that involves the creation, distribution of the drugs and the delivery of the goods. It involves diverse stakeholders who include manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, healthcare providers and regulators whose cooperation would be critical in offering drug authenticity and patient safety. However, the counterfeiting, absence of data fragmentation, inefficient traceability, and inefficient waste management are some of the issues that the traditional supply chains have faced (Kutybayeva, Razaque, and Rai, 2025; Sangwan et al., 2025). According to the reports of the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly ten percent of the drugs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are falsified or of substandard quality. Poor regulation in Pakistan and absence of digitalization exacerbate these issues because the industry is booming there (Alharthi, Cerotti, and Far, 2020). This compromises healthcare sustainability and mistrust of the people. Pharmaceutical functions can be changed by blockchain technology, providing a decentralized, open, and trustworthy model with access to data. It also allows real-time data verification, traceability and product authentication across the supply chain (Rahman et al., 2025). Beyond traceability, the smart contracts of blockchain can be used to improve inventories and reduce pharmaceutical waste through automation of alerts, monitoring of drugs nearing expiry and redistribution (Ghorbani, 2025; Wason et al., 2025). This is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG 3 (Good Health) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption) (Malviya and Sundram, 2023). This research, thus, intends to develop a Blockchain-Based Sustainable Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Model in Pakistan, which would increase transparency, traceability, and reduce waste in accordance with the digital transformation of the Pakistani healthcare.