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Zuellig Pharma’s blockchain-based tracking system can prevent accidents involving expired Covid-19 vaccines

  • Accidents involving expired or improperly stored vaccines, counterfeit medicines can be avoided with Zuellig Pharma’s blockchain technology
  • Consumers in Southeast Asia spend between US$520 million and US$2.6 billion a year on counterfeit medicines, according to the UN

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Zuellig Pharma uses blockchain technology to capture, track and trace multiple data points for products like Covid-19 vaccines to improve supply chain transparency. Photo: AFP
Peggy Sito
Zuellig Pharma, a Singapore-headquartered medical services company, has launched a blockchain-based tracking system that can prevent accidents like those involving the use of expired Covid-19 vaccines.
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The company said that governments and private clients can instantly verify the provenance and authenticity of such vaccines and other health care products using its eZTracker management system.

The system uses blockchain technology to capture, track and trace multiple data points for products like vaccines to improve supply chain transparency and allow for instant verification via a mobile app.
A Zuellig Pharma staff member stands in front of a fridge that will be used to store Covid-19 vaccines at one of its facilities in Asia. Photo: AFP
A Zuellig Pharma staff member stands in front of a fridge that will be used to store Covid-19 vaccines at one of its facilities in Asia. Photo: AFP

“For products registered with eZTracker and depending on the needs of our pharma principals, patients can scan the 2D data matrix on the product packaging to verify key product information like expiry date, temperature, and provenance through its app powered by blockchain,” said Daniel Laverick, vice-president and head of digital and data solutions at Zuellig Pharma.

“Accidents involving expired or improperly stored vaccines can be avoided,” he added.

On January 12, the Hong Kong health authorities revealed that a private clinic in Hong Kong injected 36 people with expired Covid-19 vaccines. Two of them reported gastrointestinal discomfort after vaccination, according to the Hong Kong health authority.
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The clinic gave 12 people the German-made BioNTech vaccine “a few hours” after the suggested use-by date on January 2. Another 24 people received the vaccine on January 4, two days after it had expired.

The company’s solution provides a solution for patients to have greater control over their health and could help them avoid incidents that threaten their health and safety, said Laverick.

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