PLA’s first go-to-market product builds on the most mature use case of the PharmaLedger project: electronic Product Information (ePI). In Q2 of 2023, PLA will launch its ePI product on the PharmaLedger Network. This solution will allow anyone to access the latest Product Information through a simple mobile phone scan of the barcode on a medical product box.
Why does ePI on blockchain matter?
Displaying product information in digital format or even on a mobile app is nothing new! Most people have never thought of this or tried it out, as luckily most people don’t need to search for information from paper or digital leaflets very often. Unfortunately, those who do, such as patients, medicine users, carers, and health providers, rely the most on the information provided.
Paper leaflets are hard to read, cumbersome to navigate and inconvenient to store. They carry regulated information, but despite best efforts are not delivered in a user-friendly or patient-centric way.
ePI by PharmaLedger responds to an unmet need in healthcare for an easy-to-use medicine leaflet that doesn’t compromise on user experience, security, trust, accuracy or reliability.
Developed through the collaboration of pharmaceutical companies, patient organizations and technology and regulatory SMEs, ePI by PharmaLedger is designed to ensure:
Medicine users, health care providers and carers have a free-of-charge trusted source of information, having access at all times to the latest approved product information.
Manufacturers can invest in an industry-wide solution, compliant with all regulatory requirements and capable of high return on investment
The latest leaflet is available thanks to the dynamic updates enabled by the secure network, which cannot be said for PDFs stored on websites or central repositories
Freedom for the industry to create a shared infrastructure guided by common standards and without third-party proprietary technology or vendor lock-in
Decreased enhancement and maintenance costs, sharing risks and leveraging the direct input from patient organizations
Leverages existing standards of serialization and transforms the GS1 2D DataMatrix into a digital twin key to verifying the product’s identification
ePI is just one of PLA’s solutions, the first to be launched. The network opened up by PLA’s formation as a not-for-profit association will be leveraged for countless value-adding solutions. Most importantly, the network represents the first step in creating a Digital Trust Ecosystem in Healthcare.
In the future, the ePI solution offers a host of potential services to the patient, depending on user consent:
Ability to download the App and customize its use
Notification if the Product Information is updated
Notification if the product batch is recalled
Additional checks on the authenticity of the package (serial number, product status or even authentication features on the package)
Drug interaction issues with other scanned medicines
Adherence reminders created with a link to the prescription
Disposal of excess medicine instructions based on the expiry date
Adverse event reporting
Adding specific medicine information to the electronic health record (EHR)
and many more to come!
Future products on the PharmaLedger Network could include functionalities for Detecting Falsified Medicines, Adherence Reminders, Adverse Health Reporting, links with other health apps, and more.
Learn more about the projects and products in our Product Trust platform and portfolio.