Walmart joins blockchain group to track pharmaceuticals

Amy Baxter | | Health Exec | Precision Medicine
Blockchain generic

Retail giant Walmart has joined a blockchain group that aims to track the provenance of pharmaceuticals, the company confirmed to CoinDesk.

The blockchain consortium, MediLedger, includes members such as drugmaker Pfizer and the three largest pharma wholesalers––McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health.

The move represents another step into the healthcare technology space for Walmart, which has already deepened its presence in the Medicare Advantage market, launched new telehealth services, worked to make over-the-counter drugs more affordable and joined another system for tracking fresh produce with IBM’s Food Trust.

According to CoinDesk, MediLedger uses a version of the ethereum blockchain. Walmart’s addition to the consortium comes ahead of an FDA pilot test of various approaches to creating an interoperable, digitized system for tracking and verifying prescription drugs.

See the full story below:

Walmart Joins Pharmaceutical-Tracking Blockchain Consortium MediLedger

Amy Baxter
Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

Related Content

Pitching the business case for 3D printing labs in radiology
FDA issues first-ever clearance for OTC oximeter
Augmented reality company secures $15M in funding from Cleveland Clinic, Mayo, GE Healthcare and more
Merck to acquire Prometheus Biosciences for $10.8B
Johnson & Johnson scraps RSV vaccine after trial
Intermountain Health launches new biotech company

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
FDA commissioner urges clinicians to join fight against medical misinformation

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, said the clinical community needs to combat health misinformation at a grassroots level. He warned that patients are immersed in a "sea of misinformation without a compass."
 

AI in Healthcare
4 points crucial to the nimble regulation of GenAI

With generative AI coming into its own, AI regulators must avoid relying too much on principles of risk management—and not enough on those of uncertainty management.

Cardiovascular Business
Q&A: Why are cardiovascular devices involved in so many recalls? FDA policies may be to blame

Cardiovascular devices are more likely to be in a Class I recall than any other device type. The FDA's approval process appears to be at least partially responsible, though the agency is working to make some serious changes. We spoke to a researcher who has been tracking these data for years to learn more. 

Design by Adaptive Theme
Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup