
Project Overview
Patients who receive drugs at the pharmacy can be assured that they are buying original and safe drugs. We have created a blockchain solution which allows us to bring this trust into the realm of visibility and verification. Our platform is carefully surveilling every point of a drug halfway through the factory floor to the shelves of the drugstores, providing a chain of custody that can not be broken and can protect patients and offer reassurance to healthcare professionals.
Our Solution
The system's design was built around a permissioned blockchain network utilizing Hyperledger Fabric to create a record of cold chain custody and condition data. This setup managed to strike a balance between the need for transparency essential for meeting requirements and the need for confidentiality crucial in the competitive world of pharmaceutical supply chain logistics.
Sensor Layer
The key to keeping track of conditions in time was tying in sensors from the Internet of Things:
- Temperature and humidity sensors attached to each pallet and tote
- Careful calibration protocols for data accuracy
- Encrypted gateways for data protection
- Bluetooth Low Energy and Narrowband Internet of Things connectivity
- Special transmission protocols to stretch battery life over weeks
- Tamper-evident packaging with built-in breach detection systems
Gateway Infrastructure
Edge computing nodes serve as checkpoints for data:
- Local data validation and buffering
- Device authentication through certificates
- Data encryption for secure transmission
- Offline data retention capabilities
- Real-time excursion detection with immediate local alerts
Event Streaming Platform
Apache Kafka clusters set up with partitions for types of products and shipping routes:
- Schema validation to ensure correct data formatting
- Data quality checks for accuracy
- Dead letter queue for unreadable sensor readings
- Delivery mechanism ensuring each transaction is processed once
Blockchain Network
Hyperledger Fabric implementation with enterprise blockchain peer nodes belonging to organizations:
- Private data collections for confidential shipment information
- Chaincode for automated smart contract development execution
- Certificate Authority infrastructure with Hardware Security Module backed root keys
Off-chain Storage
- PostgreSQL for telemetry history storage with query and analysis capabilities
- Amazon S3 for raw sensor data long-term storage
- Merkle tree commitment connecting off-chain data to on-chain proofs
API Integration Layer
Enterprise systems integration through REST and GraphQL endpoints:
- ERP, warehouse management, and transportation management systems
- EPCIS event formatting for supply chain visibility standards
- Advanced Shipment Notice (ASN) and Proof of Delivery (POD) documents
- Rate limiting and authentication for external system connections
Observability Infrastructure
- Distributed tracing across all system components
- Prometheus metrics collection with Grafana visualization dashboards
- Anomaly detection algorithms for excursion risk assessment
- PagerDuty integration for alert escalation
Technology Stack
Blockchain and Distributed Ledger
- Hyperledger Fabric for permissioned blockchain network
- Hardware Security Module (HSM) backed certificate authority
- Chaincode smart contracts for automated business logic
IoT Integration
- High-precision temperature and humidity sensors
- Bluetooth Low Energy and NB-IoT connectivity
- Edge gateway nodes for data validation and buffering
- Cryptographic data authenticity validation
Event Streaming and Real-time Processing
- Apache Kafka for high-volume event handling
- Schema validation and data quality enforcement
- Dead letter queues for error handling
Data Storage and Analytics
- PostgreSQL for telemetry history and querying
- Amazon S3 for long-term raw data storage
- Merkle tree implementations for data integrity proofs
Container Orchestration and Deployment
- Kubernetes for container management
- Blue/green deployment strategies for zero-downtime updates
- Multi-region deployment for high availability
API and Integration Layer
- REST and GraphQL API endpoints
- EPCIS event formatting for supply chain tracking
- Rate limiting and authentication controls
Observability and Monitoring
- Distributed tracing across system components
- Prometheus metrics collection
- Grafana visualization dashboards
- PagerDuty for alert management
- Anomaly detection algorithms for excursion risk assessment
- Comprehensive security audits for system validation
Project Results
- 100% product traceability achieved
- 40% reduction in counterfeit goods detected
- Full regulatory compliance maintained
- 25% improvement in supply chain efficiency
- 99.95% data accuracy rate
Key Performance Metrics
Counterfeit Reduction
Detected counterfeit goods
Traceability
Product traceability
Efficiency Gain
Supply chain efficiency
Data Accuracy
System accuracy rate
Service Level Objectives Achievement
Service Level Objective | Target | Achieved |
---|---|---|
Data Ingestion Latency (P99) | <500ms | 387ms |
Telemetry Signal Loss | <0.1% | 0.08% |
Chain Commit Time | <2 sec | 1.6 sec |
Alert Fan-out Time | <5 sec | 3 sec |
System Availability (30-day) | ≥99.95% | 99.97% |
Data Integrity Validation | 100% | 100% |
Sensor Battery Life | ≥8 weeks | 9.2 weeks |