Transformative role of blockchain in addressing the challenges of healthcare supply chain efficiency: systematic literature review

Purpose. Blockchain technology has revolutionized information management with its transparent, secure, and decentralized framework, proving to be particularly advantageous in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and supply chain management. In the healthcare field, it improves operational efficiency, patient safety, and supply chain transparency by ensuring traceability, mitigating counterfeit risks, and automating processes through smart contracts. By removing intermediaries, blockchain cultivates trust, reduces disputes, and optimizes the healthcare supply chain.

For this purpose, this research seeks to further explore the potential of blockchain technology in the healthcare supply chains. To achieve this, a comprehensive landscape assessment will be undertaken to explore the current applications of blockchain in this sector, evaluate its impact, and identify areas that are currently underutilized. The study will illuminate blockchain’s potential to enhance social, environmental, and economic sustainability, offering valuable insights for stakeholders on how this technology can promote efficiency, transparency, and enduring sustainability in the healthcare supply chain.

Research Approach. A systematic literature review approach will be employed to fulfil the primary objective of this research. It aims to aims to explore the evolution of blockchain technology adoption within the healthcare supply chain. It will examine the key challenges faced by the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors that blockchain could help address, identify the most utilized blockchain platforms, and assess the anticipated trajectory of adoption over time. Additionally, the research will evaluate the potential applications of blockchain in healthcare logistics and the expected benefits while highlighting existing gaps in the literature. The findings are intended to provide insights into the projected impact of blockchain on organizational workflows and its potential to enhance transparency, security, and efficiency in healthcare supply chain management.

Finding and Originality. This research has a dual focus: first, it aims to analyse the impact of blockchain technology on the healthcare supply chain, and second, it seeks to examine the methodologies used to evaluate its implementation. These findings are essential, as they will highlight the blockchain platforms most utilized in healthcare supply chains, the performance metrics employed to assess the impact of blockchain, and the methodologies that can be applied in future studies to evaluate blockchain implementation in supply chain management.

Research Impact. This research aims to provide researchers with performance metrics for assessing the effectiveness of blockchain technology in improving supply chain operational efficiency. Furthermore, it will offer a comprehensive catalogue of methodologies, allowing researchers to choose the most appropriate evaluation approach tailored to their specific research requirements.

Practical Impact. This research will present significant practical implications for stakeholders in the healthcare sector, including policymakers, healthcare organizations, technology developers, and supply chain managers. It will illustrate how blockchain technology can enhance supply chain efficiency by improving product tracking, reducing delays, and ensuring regulatory compliance through increased traceability and fraud prevention. The study will also highlight blockchain's potential for cost reduction and sustainability via optimized resource allocation. Furthermore, it will introduce a standardized evaluation framework for assessing the impact of blockchain, which will facilitate future implementations. Finally, it will guide healthcare organizations in selecting and adopting effective blockchain solutions.