Track: Supply Chain Management

Abstract

Insulin is seen as an essential medication in high demand in the pharmaceutical industry. Optimizing the supply chain for insulin cannot be overstated to ensure patients have access to the medication they need and that the provider or supplier's costs can be managed efficiently. In order to ensure that patients have access to lifesaving medicines in a timely manner, the insulin supply chain (ISC) can be improved to become more efficient and effective. A semi-structured interview method was used in this study to analyze the issue of enhancing the effectiveness of the ISC and reducing the presence of counterfeit drugs by interviewing seven participants from the pharmaceutical sector in Doha, Qatar. As a result of this study, four themes were identified. These were: 1) limitations in transporting insulin, 2) methods for ensuring the effectiveness of the supply chain, 3) the importance of adopting advanced traceability methods to ensure that insulin is transported efficiently, and 4) RFID as a way to ensure that insulin is transported safely and appropriately throughout the supply chain. Participants in the study indicated that radio frequency identification (RFID) in the cold chain for insulin increased its efficiency by increasing its effectiveness.