An Exploration of The Role of Blockchain in The Sustainability and Effectiveness of The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

The main aim of this study is to explore the role of blockchain technology in the sustainability and effectiveness of the pharmaceutical supply chain in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The objectives of this study are: to explore the opportunities for the blockchain technology to address the existing problems in the pharmaceutical supply chain; to uncover the barriers and challenges of blockchain adoption and implementation; to develop guidelines for a successful implementation of blockchain in the context of Saudi Arabia; and to investigate the perceptions of professionals about the impact of blockchain adoption in the pharmaceutical supply chain sector. The researchers have identified issues surrounding the lack of integration of IT systems in the healthcare systems in KSA. Further problems have been identified: such as medication shortage, lack of coordination among healthcare stakeholders, product wastage and lack of medication demand information. Blockchain, as a distributed digital ledger technology which ensures transparency, traceability and security, is considered as a promise for easing some supply chain management problems. The evaluation of the impact of 'Technology, Organisation, Environment' (TOE) theory, will provide a clear picture to comprehend the influence of these factors on the sustainability of the supply chain, and thus the supply chain effectiveness. This study provides a theoretical model for the impact of blockchain implementation on the sustainability and effectiveness of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Researchers highlighted issues in the current management of the pharmaceutical supply chain and explained how blockchain can be used to solve these problems and how blockchain can address and support the sustainability of supply chains. While the technology of blockchain is definitely in its infancy, the researchers have already seen success in its everyday deployment, especially in the pharmaceutical and financial sectors.