Securing Drug Traceability: Block chain-Enhanced Privacy Protection and Anti-Counterfeit Measures in Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

Abdulrahman Mohammed Alshehri¹ , Thamer Alhussain^2,*

¹Industrial Engineering Department, Penn State University, University park, State college, USA

²E-Commerce Department, Saudi Electronic University , Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Emails: ama8889@psu.edu; talhussain@seu.edu.sa

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry encounters numerous challenges in the management of medications and ensuring their authenticity, as well as safeguarding sensitive information within the supply chain. Maintaining the integrity of drug manufacturing processes, transaction records, and patient data from unauthorized access or tampering is crucial. Any breach in security could undermine trust throughout the entire supply chain.  To mitigate these concerns, a multi-layered approach is employed. Initially, data encryption using QR codes with Attribute-Based Encryption provides a foundation for securing information. This is followed by an innovative strategy that combines Red Panda Optimization (RPO) Algorithm and Group Teaching Optimization algorithms (GTOA) to optimize encryption key selection. Finally, Multi-Party Computation (MPC) protocols along with Shamir's Secret Sharing enhances overall security measures. These procedures ensure that only authorized individuals have access to critical information essential for identifying counterfeit products and maintain confidentiality through Secure MPC verification without compromising sensitive details.

Keywords: Counterfeit Drugs; Drug Traceability; Security; Privacy; Block chain; Key Generation; Optimization