Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management
Understanding local and international regulatory environments is key to effective pharmaceutical distribution.
Executive Summary
The pharmaceutical supply chain system is a critical piece towards the realization of universal healthcare coverage and ensuring public health security. The WHO lists supply chain integrity and security as one of the six (6) health systems pillars guided by the understanding that healthcare service interventions are predicated on reliable access to safe, effective and quality health products and technologies. Health supply chain resilience as a priority gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic with a global acknowledgement that without investment in health product security, our health systems are as exposed as the people depending on them for care at such times. In order to ensure integrity and resilience of pharmaceutical & health supply chain systems, it’s imperative that qualified competent professionals are tasked with the responsibility of managing sourcing of raw materials, coordinating demand & supply plans and ensuring production & release schedules are aligned to needs at any one point in time.
In Africa, there has been great focus on health product security and resilience greatly driven by focus on local manufacturing. Though a welcome move, focusing on local manufacturing without consideration of the essential contributing factors such as supply of raw materials, demand forecasting & needs assessment some of these aspirations may not meet their goals. Beyond local production other gaps are glaring such as the influx of falsified and substandard products, shortages and wastages associated with expiries. Additionally, with the growing attention on climate change and its impact on healthcare systems, the contribution of pharmaceutical supply chains are not left behind including reverse logistics and healthcare waste management.
This Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management Course is designed to equip learners with foundational skills and practical aspects in health product supply chain with focus on nurturing competent supply chain professionals to secure Africa’s health product security. The course will infuse practical insights, futuristic interventions and innovative models of supply chain programming to ensure our graduates are well equipped to lead the renaissance in Africa’s health products supply chain.
Course Objectives
- To promote understanding of biopharmaceutical supply chain management principles among professionals in Africa.
- To equip learners with skills to optimize pharmaceutical supply chain systems in Africa for health product security & supply chain resilience.
- To reimagine pharmaceutical supply chain systems in Africa through an integrated end-to-end supply chain understanding among pharmaceutical supply chain professionals.
- To expose professionals to opportunities in the pharmaceutical supply chain system across the healthcare value chain.
- To create a pool of competent, qualified and engaged pharmaceutical supply chain professionals to strengthen pharmaceutical systems in Africa.
Course Structure
Core Lectures
Guest Lectures
Case Presentations
Mode of Delivery & Duration
The program will be delivered virtually on Microsoft Teams.
The course runs for 12 weeks. Each session will run for 2hrs weekly.
Modules
- Introduction to Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management – covering scope of pharmaceutical supply chain management, the need and principle of essential health products.
- Product Selection – focused on understanding approaches to product selection, development of product specifications, product range optimization and product selection criteria.
- Demand/Supply Planning, Forecasting & Quantification – with focus on needs assessment, understanding quantification and forecasting methods, and the challenges in demand planning & quantification.
- Procurement – understanding procurement methods, procurement process management, supplier selection, contracting & contract management, monitoring & evaluation, procurement performance improvement plans and Good Procurement Practices (GPP) including laws & policies on procurement.
- Warehousing & Inventory Management – understanding site selection, warehouse design & management protocols, product security & inventory control methods, warehouse equipment & layout and Good Warehousing Practices (GWP).
- Logistics Management – understanding the goals of storage and distribution, traceability and product visibility across the supply chain, product integrity on transit, logistics planning, reverse logistics grounded on Good Distribution Practices (GDP).
- Product Use – understanding the concept of rational use of health products and technologies, dispensing practices, assessment of product use and product use improvement plans management.
- Resource Management (Financial, Personnel, IT) with focus on understanding Financial Planning & Management (Budgeting, Budget Monitoring, Costing & Pricing of Products, Economic Evaluation of Products); Human Resource Management (Recruitment, In-Service Training, Performance Management & Appraisals and Policies/Job Descriptions/Specifications); Digital Health Technologies & Data Analytics (IT Systems Needs Assessment, Procurement, Deployment & Use – Data Integrity & Security; Systems Interoperability & Compatibility) and Equipment & Tools: Maintenance, Calibration, Handling & Access Rights.
- Monitoring & Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management geared at understanding supply chain performance indicators, reporting, logistics information management systems & tools, audits & inspections management, data sources & means verification and stakeholder management.
- Quality Management Systems: QA, QC, Audits & Risk Management – understanding principles of Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management Process Optimization, Good Documentation Practices, Pharmacovigilance Principles and Patient Safety, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Quality Audits, Change Management and Pharmaceutical Waste Management.
- Leadership in Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Management with focus on team management and vision setting, industry influencing & agenda setting, personal branding, pharmaceutical supply chain leadership priority setting in corporate organizations, and change management.
Target Participants
Professionals working in or with an interest in pharmaceutical & healthcare supply chain management.
Prerequisite: basic understanding of health systems principles.
Why Should You Enroll?
- Get the skills to venture into a rewarding career.
- An opportunity to redefine health product security in Africa through policy, strategic and operational interventions.
- Gain insights into critical supply chain principles in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.
- Get exposed to global trends and networks in the health supply chain.
Course Faculty
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Alumni
Our Partners
