Greening community pharmaceutical supply chain in UK: a cross boundary approach

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to design a green pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC) that reduces preventable pharmaceutical waste and effectively disposes of inevitable pharmaceutical waste. The main output of this study is the formulation of an integrated green PSC model involving all critical stakeholders, leading to improved environmental, economic and safety performance in medication management and delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on literature and on secondary resources.

Findings

To green the PSC, every producer of waste is duty bound to facilitate the safe handling and disposal of waste. A cross boundary green PSC (XGPSC) approach is proposed to identify participants' contribution to the PSC. Peripheral influences are also recognised from professional and regulatory bodies.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses solely on community PSC in the UK where patients receive medication from local community pharmacies and thus may be limited. The proposed XGPSC approach also needs to be tested and validated in practice. It may also be difficult to transfer some of the environmental practices proposed in this research into practice.

Practical implications

The environmental practices and actions proposed provide invaluable insight into various PSC activities, including purchasing, product design, prescription patterns and processes, medication use review, and customer relationship management.

Social implications

The proposed environmental actions encourage firm commitment from everyone to reduce, recycle or effectively dispose of pharmaceutical waste, with patients becoming stewards of medication rather than only consumers.

Originality/value

A cross boundary approach is developed to green the PSC, which encourages total involvement and collaboration from all participants in PSC.

Citation

Xie, Y. and Breen, L. (2012), "Greening community pharmaceutical supply chain in UK: a cross boundary approach", Supply Chain Management, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 40-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/13598541211212195