Holograms, blockchain tech can curb counterfeit drugs

Holograms, blockchain tech can curb counterfeit drugs

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

• Sheetal Arora, CEO of Mankind Pharma Ltd, advocates the use of holograms and blockchain technology as essential tools to combat counterfeit drugs in the market.

Details:

• Holograms with advanced features and blockchain shipment tracking enhance drug authenticity and traceability, making counterfeiting difficult.
• The urgency to address counterfeit drugs is highlighted by the growth projection of the Indian pharmaceutical industry from $50 billion in 2023 to $130 billion by 2030.
• India’s position as a potential global pharmacy contrasts with its status as a major counterfeit drug production hub, facilitated by the ease of setting up small-scale operations.
• The World Health Organization notes that approximately 10.5% of medications worldwide are substandard or fake.
• The counterfeit drug industry has intensified, especially during the pandemic, posing a serious threat that requires collaborative efforts from the pharma industry and the government.
• Measures proposed include strengthening regulatory control, enhancing drug testing labs, conducting surveys to track counterfeit drugs, and implementing strict liability for counterfeit drug manufacturers.
• The Indian government is urged to implement the 2018 draft guidelines on Good Distribution Practices and initiate a nationwide awareness campaign on the risks of counterfeit drugs.
• Pharmaceutical companies are encouraged to invest in secure packaging and periodically change designs to prevent counterfeiting, incorporating tamper-proof elements like QR codes, holograms, and security labels for product verification.

Hologram:

• A hologram captures a 3D light field through an interference pattern, allowing for the reproduction of images with depth and parallax similar to the original scene.
• Holograms can be created from actual light captured from scenes or through computer generation, known as computer-generated holograms, to display virtual objects or scenes.
• The creation of optical holography requires laser light to record the light field, and the resulting image can exhibit depth cues such as parallax and perspective, changing realistically with viewing angle.
• Traditionally, holograms are made by overlaying a reference beam onto a wavefront of interest, generating an interference pattern recorded on a physical medium. This pattern, when illuminated by the reference beam, recreates the original wavefront.
• Although 3D images from holograms can be viewed with non-laser light, doing so often involves significant compromises in image quality to eliminate the need for laser illumination.
• Computer-generated holograms are produced by digitally modeling two wave fronts to create an interference pattern, which can be printed on a mask or film for reconstruction with light, or displayed directly on a dynamic holographic display.

QR Code: 

• The QR Code is a two-dimensional version of the barcode. ‘QR’ stands for “Quick Response”, which refers to instant access to the information hidden in the Code.
• Working:
  • It consists of black squares arranged in a square grid on a white background.
  • Up to 7089 digits or 4296 characters can be entered in one Code.
  • The hidden information can be read by an imaging device such as a camera and the required data is then extracted from patterns that are present in code.
• Applications: It was first designed in 1994 for the automotive industry in Japan. Now it is widely used to get to websites more quickly. Key applications are Product tracking, item identification, general marketing etc.

Basic blockchain security:

• Blockchain technology is designed with inherent security features stemming from cryptography, decentralization, and consensus principles, fostering trust in transactions.
• Data in blockchain or distributed ledger technologies (DLT) is organized into blocks, each holding a transaction or a group of transactions, linked in a cryptographic chain that is highly resistant to tampering.
• Transactions within blocks are validated and confirmed by a consensus mechanism to ensure their authenticity and accuracy.
• The decentralized nature of blockchain involves multiple participants across a distributed network, eliminating single points of failure and preventing any one user from altering the transaction record.
• Despite these secure foundations, different blockchain technologies may vary in specific security details and implementations.

Source: TH