Purpose

This paper links supply chain risk management to medicine supply chains to explore the role of policymakers in employing supply chain risk management strategies (SCRMS) to reduce generic medicine shortages.

Design/methodology/approach

Using secondary data supplemented with primary data, the authors map and compare seven countries' SCRMS for handling shortage risks in their paracetamol supply chains before and during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

Consistent with recent research, the study finds that policymakers had implemented few SCRMS specifically for responding to disruptions caused by COVID-19. However, shortages were largely avoided since multiple strategies for coping with business-as-usual disruptions had been implemented prior to the pandemic. The authors did find that SCRMS implemented during COVID-19 were not always aligned with those implemented pre-pandemic. The authors also found that policymakers played both direct and indirect roles.

Research limitations/implications

Combining longitudinal secondary data with interviews sheds light on how, regardless of the level of preparedness during normal times, SCRMS can be leveraged to avert shortages in abnormal times. However, the problem is highly complex, which warrants further research.

Practical implications

Supply chain professionals and policymakers in the healthcare sector can use the findings when developing preparedness and response plans.

Social implications

The insights developed can help policymakers improve the availability of high-volume generic medicines in (ab)normal times.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to prior SCRM research in two ways. First, the authors operationalize SCRMS in the medicine supply chain context in (ab)normal times, thereby opening avenues for future research on SCRM in this context. Second, the authors develop insights on the role policymakers play and how they directly implement and indirectly influence the adoption of SCRMS. Based on the study findings, the authors develop a framework that captures the diverse roles of policymakers in SCRM.

中文翻译：

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正常和异常时期的供应链风险管理策略：政策制定者在减少仿制药短缺方面的作用

目的

本文将供应链风险管理与药品供应链联系起来，探讨政策制定者在采用供应链风险管理策略 (SCRMS) 减少仿制药短缺方面的作用。

设计/方法/途径

作者使用辅助数据辅以原始数据，绘制并比较了七个国家在 COVID-19 大流行前两波浪潮之前和期间处理扑热息痛供应链短缺风险的 SCRMS。

发现

与最近的研究一致，该研究发现，政策制定者很少实施专门用于应对 COVID-19 造成的中断的 SCRMS。但是，由于在大流行之前已经实施了多种应对日常业务中断的策略，因此在很大程度上避免了短缺。作者确实发现，在 COVID-19 期间实施的 SCRMS 并不总是与大流行前实施的那些保持一致。作者还发现，政策制定者扮演着直接和间接的角色。

研究局限性/影响

将纵向二级数据与访谈相结合，揭示了无论正常时期的准备程度如何，如何利用 SCRMS 来避免异常时期的短缺。然而，这个问题非常复杂，值得进一步研究。

实际影响

医疗保健行业的供应链专业人员和政策制定者可以在制定准备和响应计划时使用这些发现。

社会影响

得出的见解可以帮助决策者在（异常）正常时期提高大批量仿制药的可用性。

原创性/价值

作者以两种方式为先前的 SCRM 研究做出贡献。首先，作者在（异常）正常时期在医药供应链环境中实施 SCRMS，从而为未来在这种情况下的 SCRM 研究开辟了道路。其次，作者对政策制定者所扮演的角色以及他们如何直接实施和间接影响 SCRMS 的采用提出了见解。根据研究结果，作者开发了一个框架来捕捉决策者在 SCRM 中的不同角色。