To protect millions from counterfeit medicines, a West African health authority partnered with authentic.network to secure pharmaceutical products with tamper-proof crypto-optical labels. Each product now carries a blockchain-verified digital identity, instantly scannable via smartphone - even offline.The result? Unprecedented protection for 30 million medication units, full supply chain visibility, and a scalable solution that saves lives - even in low-connectivity areas.
In parts of West Africa, up to 60 % of medicines are counterfeit - a deadly threat to public health. To address this, a regional health authority partnered with authentic.network to secure the pharmaceutical supply chain using crypto-optical labels and blockchain technology.The result: millions of life-saving products can now be verified instantly – even offline – ensuring trust, transparency, and safety at scale.
The challange
Across West Africa, counterfeit medicines are a life-threatening reality.According to WHO estimates, 30–60 % of medications in certain regions are fake – contributing to 116,000 deaths annually from falsified malaria treatments alone. The core problems:
No way to authenticate products at the point of use
No visibility into who handles or dispenses the medication
No low-cost system fit for rural or disconnected areas
A solution was needed that could:
Secure every product from the factory to the pharmacy
Enable instant, offline authentication
Scale to millions of units across fragmented supply chains
Work without changing existing production infrastructure
The solution
authentic.network implemented a crypto-optical authentication system directly into the local manufacturing process. Every package now carries a unique, tamper-proof label - resistant to heat, moisture, and humidity - and verifiable via any smartphone, even in offline settings. Key advantages:
Blockchain-verified identity for each unit
Partners became verifiable touchpoints within the customer journey
Dealer map and scan dashboard to visualize distribution
Implementation was smooth and adapted to regional conditions – ensuring both scalability and trust in the field.
The results
30 million
units of medicine secured
20×
cheaper than RFID alternatives
100%
traceability from production to patient
For the first time, end users, healthcare workers, and governments can verify product authenticity instantly - even in remote areas with no internet access.
"Just like today’s smart kitchen appliances come with their own recipes and perfectly mix ingredients, we realized that a solar panel should be able to deliver more than just electricity.We wanted to offer helpful digital services and information that customers could access easily through a simple app.” Dr. Gunter Erfurt, CEO of Meyer Burger
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