PharmaLedger, an NPO bringing small and large associations together to build a Digital Trust Ecosystem in Healthcare (DTE-H), has recently released its first go-to-market product which will allow anyone to access a medicine’s product information through a mobile scan of a barcode. The goal is to enable easy access for patients without compromising on user experience, security, trust, reliability, and accuracy. The association is further exploring functionalities like detecting falsified medicines, adherence reminders, adverse health reporting, and potential connections with other applications.
The PharmaLedger Association provides governance, compliance and operational oversight of the platforms and products within their ecosystem to enhance, scale, and ensure sustainability. The project initially started with cooperation between the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (Efpia), but after its completion, the association settled down in Basel, Switzerland. They have considered over 80 blockchain use cases, however, they have narrowed it down to 7, with ePI being the first available for testing by end consumers.
Electronic Patient Information on the Blockchain
- Making eLeaflets easier and quicker to read through search and zoom functions
- Providing a safe digital medicine cabinet
- Enabling patients to identify falsified product boxes
- Receiving real-time updates when a product expires or is being recalled by the manufacturer
European Commission: “Electronic product information (ePI), or eLeaflets, provide an opportunity for improvements in how patients interact with the information provided. We summarise opportunities of ePI and experiences from a co-creation process of such an app together with patients as part of the Pharmaledger project and put it into context of the current policy environment in the EU in light of EMA’s key principles for the adoption of ePI in medicine.”
The demo is live with additional features being planned as per the presentation. You can test the app here.
Research by Andrej in November 2023.