Title: Reverse logistics practices in Indian pharmaceutical supply chains: a study of manufacturers

Authors: Haidar Abbas; Jamal A. Farooquie

Addresses: Department of Business Administration and Accounting, Al Buraimi University College, Al Buraimi, Sultanate of Oman ' Department of Business Administration, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

Abstract: The era of integration and globalisation forces one not to believe in a 'zero sum game'. Under the challenges like constantly increasing customers' expectations, fierce competition, high product variety, etc., winning the customers' delight and recapturing the value by their efficient reverse logistics process becomes inevitable. Such provision becomes of utmost importance when it is related with costly and health and/or life affecting products like medicines. Using suitable statistical tests, the data collected online from 65 senior level managers and entrepreneurs are analysed to identify and examine the various reverse logistics practices, drivers and barriers of thereof, and their performance parameters in Indian pharmaceutical sector. Redistribute, customer satisfaction, lesser predictability and helpful in image building are the most cited practice, driver, barriers and perceived performance indicator, respectively. Besides enriching the literature, the outcomes are expected to help the governments, regulatory bodies as well as pharmaceutical companies to ensure sustainable development.

Keywords: logistics; reverse logistics; pharmaceutical supply chains; pharmaceutical companies; Indian pharmaceutical supply chains.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2020.103863

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2020 Vol.35 No.1, pp.72 - 89

Received: 14 Aug 2017
Accepted: 29 May 2018
Published online: 02 Dec 2019 *

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