Drug Evaluation Committee What is Blockchain?
Data Science Subcommittee
June 2020
Blockchain is known as the core technology of Bitcoin, a cryptographic asset, but in recent years, its applications beyond cryptographic assets have been actively studied. In the medical field, the FDA and various pharmaceutical companies are studying the use of blockchain, and service providers offering blockchain platforms as PaaS (Platform as a Service) are also actively seeking applications in the medical field.
Blockchain is a tool that has the potential to solve various issues in the medical field, but in order to properly utilize it, it is necessary to properly understand its characteristics and limitations.
In this report, we explain the basic technology of blockchain and introduce the challenges of this technology as well as case studies of its use in the medical field. We hope that this report will help to promote appropriate understanding and utilization of blockchain in the pharmaceutical industry.
Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Drug Evaluation Committee Data Science Subcommittee
2019 Task Force 1 Blockchain Team