Pharmaceutical logistics and medical supply chain management

Author: Song Yuanfang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: The reform of China's pharmaceutical and healthcare system has now entered a critical phase. On one hand, in accordance with WTO agreements, China opened its pharmaceutical distribution sector to foreign investment in 2004. However, both pharmaceutical and distribution companies in China lag significantly behind developed countries in terms of corporate scale, technological innovation, product variety, and management concepts. To survive, Chinese enterprises must establish and improve their supply chain management mechanisms to participate in international competition. On the other hand, as China's economic system reform continues to deepen, the pharmaceutical and healthcare system reform has also entered the practical operation stage. The key challenge lies in aligning the interests of central and local governments, pharmaceutical and sales companies, hospitals and governments, hospitals and patients, as well as healthcare security and vulnerable groups. Deepening the reform and resolving these issues is a critical task for China's pharmaceutical and healthcare system reform. After conducting an in-depth investigation and comparative analysis of the problems in China's pharmaceutical and healthcare system reform, as well as the current state of pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in developed countries, this book concludes that the reform of China's pharmaceutical and healthcare system must start with reforming the roadmap and process. It should adopt a systematic and scientific way of thinking, apply modern supply chain management concepts, leverage advanced information technology, and enhance the transparency of process management to identify and ultimately solve the numerous constraints on pharmaceutical and healthcare reform. This book can serve as a textbook or important reference for mid-to-high-level managers in pharmaceutical logistics, faculty and students of hospital management in medical schools, and participants in hospital management training programs offered by business schools. At the same time, logistics and supply chain professionals, researchers in management consulting companies, and social self-learners interested in pharmaceutical distribution can also benefit greatly from the book's insights.