Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Analysis

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An Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Abstract • The global pharmaceutical supply chain is very complex and critical to a $650 billion dollar value industry which ensures the world population has necessary medicines. • Manufacturers have the responsibility to produce sufficient quantities of drugs to meet a growing global demand while maintaining quality to ensure safety. • Global and local regulatory agencies around the world have a daunting task to monitor manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and stem counterfeit pharmaceutical production. • Wholesale distributors, importers, and retail pharmacies have a large amount of power in the supply chain as they pull the demand from the manufacturers and provide the medicines to end-consumers. • In a changing industry where there are fewer blockbuster drugs and increasing use of generic offerings, manufacturers as well as participants at all levels of the supply chain must look for areas to improve efficiencies to be profitable in the long-run. Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Analysis 2 Introduction A transparent and efficient pharmaceutical supply chain contributes significantly towards improving the availability of essential medications. The reality across the world is that pharmaceutical supply and distribution consists of different stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to create complex systems. In a heavily regulated field, globalization has placed increasing demands on regulatory agencies to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs marketed. The pharmaceutical industry has increasingly relied on global supply chains where manufacturing is often outsourced to foreign factories. Some agencies, such as the FDA, may conduct inspections off offshore manufacturing facilities. However, the complexity of the pharmaceutical supply chain, where each step in the manufacturing process may

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