Editor, Rebekah Jordan, reviews pharma's transformation to digital solutions, and how the industry will need to navigate the associated risks to prevent breaches in security and safety.
Pharma is evolving every year, but a big topic that is sticking around is digitalisation. Recently, LogiPharma reported that 86% of pharma and biotech companies planned to be more ‘digitally agile’ over the next 12 months. The main underlying reasons were to develop closer relationships with their suppliers to improve end-to-end visibility, as well as create a more operationally resilient supply chain.
Although on a larger scale, it so happens that some pharma companies are still asking the question: why go digital?
The pharmaceutical industry is often characterised as conservative and slow to adopt new technologies, including digital innovations. Additionally, the complex and highly regulated nature of the industry makes it difficult for companies to quickly implement digital solutions without compromising safety or compliance.
However, the pandemic and ongoing geo-political situations have only exacerbated the need for a more resilient supply chain. It’s shown us that the conventional way of pharma isn’t sustainable. Long distances between suppliers and manufacturers mean the risk of problems remains high; shortages aren’t timely communicated, and backup measures are absent. Consequently, the patients in need of life-saving medication don’t receive it.
A digital supply chain - one that is supported by real-time monitoring and predictive measures – can enable the preparation of plan Bs. Furthermore, it would allow manufacturers to maintain focus on product quality, whilst optimising their production processes and minimising the risk of costly breakdowns.
On the clinical side of things, investing in digital solutions could see higher recruitment rates and a decline in attrition rates, as the requirement for face-to-face appointments and travel could be eliminated. More on this in an interesting interview I had with clinical data company, Phesi, (pg. 32) discussing clinical trial metrics over the past year.
But, with all this power comes great responsibility - the potential associated risks need to be properly considered and evaluated.
Pharma’s shift to Industry 4.0 technologies means an uptick in AI, the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, but it also means an increase in cybersecurity risk and the counterfeit drug market. The rise of e-commerce has also made it easier for counterfeiters to sell fake drugs online, making it a global issue. We’re now seeing evidence of fake online pharmacies headlining the news; a shortage of drugs means patients are turning to fake alternatives over the internet.
In saying that, it’s hopeful to see pharma already placing barriers and investing in technologies to mitigate these concerns - up to the point now where it has almost become an arms race between the two. Blockchain technology, for one, is making it easier to identify these counterfeit products, with serialisation and QR codes to weed out the anomalies.
Regulatory agencies, pharma manufacturers and other stakeholders will need to work closely together to ensure pharma’s digital transformation is a safe one. With guidelines for data privacy and cybersecurity in place to ensure the safety of patients, any reservations that companies still have about pursuing the change can be reassured and have their minds put at ease.