Tracking the distribution of a product or package through a supply chain to determine authenticity and detect breaches

1. A method for tracking the distribution of a product or package through a supply chain, the supply chain having multiple supply chain entities that successively receive the product or package, the method comprising:

(a) providing an administration computer that communicates with each of the multiple supply chain entities regarding product or package distribution information, the administration computer including a database that stores:

(i) a plurality of supplier codes, each supplier code being associated with one of the supply chain entities,

(ii) one or more unique device identifiers associated with each of the supply chain entities, the device identifier identifying a device that the supply chain entity uses to communicate with the administration computer, wherein the device is a registered piece of hardware having an associated SMS number that is the unique device identifier for the device, and

(iii) a unique product or package identifier associated with each product or package that is released into the supply chain;

(b) electronically communicating from the supply chain entities to the administration computer via SMS messages sent by the respective devices at the supply chain entities whenever the supply chain entities send a product or package to a successive supply chain entity in the supply chain or receive a product or package from a previous supply chain entity in the supply chain, the communication including:

(i) one of the unique device identifiers of a device of the supply chain entity that was used for the electronic communication, the unique device identifier of the device being the SMS number of the device,

(ii) the unique product or package identifier of the product or package being sent or received, and

(iii) the supplier code that the supply chain entity either (A) sends the product or package to, or (B) has received the product or package from; and

(c) detecting, by the administration computer using the electronically communicated information and the database information, for supply chain entities that receive products or packages whether:

(i) the supplier code of the supply chain entity that has received a product or package matches an expected supplier code provided by the supply chain entity that sent the product or package,

(ii) the supplier code of the supply chain entity that has sent the product or package matches an expected supplier code provided by the supply chain entity that received the product or package, and

(iii) whether the unique product or package identifier of the received product or package matches an expected unique product or package identifier,

the expected supplier code and expected unique product or package identifier being the supplier code and the unique product or package identifier that an immediately preceding supply chain entity in the supply chain has communicated to the administration computer when sending out the product or package, wherein the supplier code of the supply chain entity that receives the product or package is obtained from the unique device identifier of the supply chain entity that receives the product or package, and wherein the supplier code of the supply chain entity that sends the product or package is obtained from the unique device identifier of the supply chain entity that sends the product or package.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) electronically generating an alert if it is detected that:

(i) the supplier code of the supply chain entity that has received a product or package does not match an expected supplier code, or

(ii) the unique product or package identifier of the received product or package does not match an expected unique product or package identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) detecting, by the administration computer, for supply chain entities that send products or packages whether:

(i) the supply chain entity that sends the product or package properly received the product or package from an immediately preceding supply chain entity in the supply chain, or

(ii) the supply chain entity has previously generated a new unique product or package identifier for the product or package, and that the new unique product or package identifier has been previously associated with a product or package that the supply chain entity has properly received from an immediately preceding supply chain entity.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) electronically generating an alert if it is detected that:

(i) the supply chain entity that sends the product or package did not properly receive the product or package from an immediately preceding supply chain entity in the supply chain, or

(ii) the supply chain entity has previously generated a new unique product or package identifier for the product or package, and that the new unique product or package identifier has been previously associated with a product or package that the supply chain entity has not properly received from an immediately preceding supply chain entity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the product or package contains medication.

6. An apparatus for tracking the distribution of a product or package through a supply chain, the supply chain having multiple supply chain entities that successively receive the product or package, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a plurality of devices, each device being located at one of the supply chain entities, each device having a unique device identifier, each device configured to electronically communicate information from its supply chain entity regarding distribution of a product or package;

(b) an application server including a computer processor that communicates with each of the multiple supply chain entities regarding product or package distribution information; and

(c) a database server including a database that stores:

(i) a plurality of supplier codes, each supplier code being associated with one of the supply chain entities,

(ii) one or more unique device identifiers associated with each of the supply chain entities, the device identifier identifying a device that the supply chain entity uses to communicate with the application server, wherein the device is a registered piece of hardware having an associated SMS number that is the unique device identifier for the device, and

(iii) a unique product or package identifier associated with each product or package that is released into the supply chain,

wherein the respective devices at the supply chain entities electronically communicate from the supply chain entities to the application server via SMS messages whenever the supply chain entities send a product or package to a successive supply chain entity in the supply chain or receive a product or package from a previous supply chain entity in the supply chain, the communication including:

(i) one of the unique device identifiers of a device of the supply chain entity that was used for the electronic communication, the unique device identifier of the device being the SMS number of the device,

(ii) the unique product or package identifier of the product or package being sent or received, and

(iii) the supplier code that the supply chain entity either (A) sends the product or package to, or (B) has received the product or package from, and

wherein the application server detects using the electronically communicated information and the database information, for supply chain entities that receive products or packages whether:

(i) the supplier code of the supply chain entity that has received a product or package matches an expected supplier code provided by the supply chain entity that sent the product or package,

(ii) the supplier code of the supply chain entity that has sent the product or package matches an expected supplier code provided by the supply chain entity that received the product or package, and

(iii) whether the unique product or package identifier of the received product or package matches an expected unique product or package identifier,

the expected supplier code and expected unique product or package identifier being the supplier code and the unique product or package identifier that an immediately preceding supply chain entity in the supply chain has communicated to the application server when sending out the product or package, wherein the supplier code of the supply chain entity that receives the product or package is obtained from the unique device identifier of the supply chain entity that receives the product or package, and wherein the supplier code of the supply chain entity that sends the product or package is obtained from the unique device identifier of the supply chain entity that sends the product or package.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the application server further electronically generates an alert if it is detected that:

(i) the supplier code of the supply chain entity that has received a product or package does not match an expected supplier code, or

(ii) the unique product or package identifier of the received product or package does not match an expected unique product or package identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the application-server further detects, for supply chain entities that send products or packages, whether:

(i) the supply chain entity that sends the product or package properly received the product or package from an immediately preceding supply chain entity in the supply chain, or

(ii) the supply chain entity has previously generated a new unique product or package identifier for the product or package, and that the new unique product or package identifier has been previously associated with a product or package that the supply chain entity has properly received from an immediately preceding supply chain entity.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the application server further electronically generates an alert if it is detected that:

(i) the supply chain entity that sends the product or package did not properly receive the product or package from an immediately preceding supply chain entity in the supply chain, or

(ii) the supply chain entity has previously generated a new unique product or package identifier for the product or package, and that the new unique product or package identifier has been previously associated with a product or package that the supply chain entity has not properly received from an immediately preceding supply chain entity.