The Effect of Pharma-Serialization Practice on Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Performance In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2024-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Counterfeited drugs are fake versions of pharmaceuticals that look and feel just like the real thing. Due to the complexity of the pharmaceutical supply chain, the prevalence of counterfeiting is apparent in the supply chain. Therefore, a pharmaceutical supply chain that can deliver drugs on time, at an affordable price, and with the best quality is becoming an increasingly difficult task. Pharma serialization is now becoming a tool for fighting counterfeiting drugs. Two opposing views are presented in the debate over serialization practices: the first is that it has no appreciable impact on supply chain performance and that it enhances the performance of the pharmaceutical supply chain. The paper's foundation is this argument. Accordingly, this thesis assessed the practice of pharma serialization and its effects on pharmaceutical supply chain performance. In addition to the mentioned argument, as a research gap, there were not that much of the literatures focused on the effects of pharma serialization, in terms of supply chain performance. Survey was conducted using the identified variables. The research was primarily based on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire. In this respect, a total of 173 questionnaires were distributed to purposefully selected technical managers or focal persons of simple randomly selected importers and wholesalers, which constituted a response rate of 167%, or 96.5%, and this was adequate for the statistical generalization of the study findings. Pharma serialization has been practiced to a moderate degree in Addis Ababa. Pharma serialization has also found that it has effects on combating counterfeit drugs. Linear regression analysis was also conducted to see the effect of the independent variables (pharma serialization practice) on the dependent variable (supply chain performance in terms of quality, cost, and on-time delivery.). The study found that independent variables showed statistically, a significant relationship with the dependent variable.
Key words: pharma serialization, counterfeiting drugs, supply chain performances, pharmaceuticals supply chain, traceability.