Research on operation strategy of multiple channels pharmaceutical supply chain based on blockchain technology

The pharmaceutical e-commerce market is rapidly expanding, with manufacturers and various e-commerce platforms actively exploring online pharmaceutical sales channels, while blockchain technology is introduced to ensure the transparency and authenticity of the pharmaceutical supply chain. This paper constructs a multiple channels pharmaceutical supply chain differential game model consisting of pharmaceutical manufacturer, traditional retailer and an e-commerce platform. This model explores online sales channel options for manufacturer and the impact of blockchain technology introduction on operational strategies such as pharmaceutical pricing and quality assurance inputs. The validity of the model is further confirmed through numerical examples and MATLAB simulations. The results indicate that consumer out-of-pocket percentage and preference for online channels influence the choice of online sales channel options for manufacturer. Specifically, when consumer out-of-pocket percentage or preference for online channels are low, the manufacturer should choose the reselling mode; conversely, it should choose the agency selling mode. Furthermore, the introduction of blockchain technology effectively improves both the retail price and authenticity of pharmaceuticals. This not only enhances consumer trust, but also drives market demand by enhancing the perceived quality of pharmaceuticals, thereby increasing the profitability of each supply chain member. Simultaneously, manufacturers' investment in pharmaceutical quality assurance of pharmaceuticals have risen, which, in the long run, positively affects business growth.