Humanitarian Logistics of Pharmaceutical Donations

Abstract

The study focuses on the humanitarian logistics of pharmaceutical donations. The research focuses primarily on the upper-section of the supply chain, meaning pharmaceutical companies (suppliers) and various nonprofits. The goal of this paper was to obtain a more detailed understanding of humanitarian logistics and the hurdles that pharmaceutical donations must overcome. Three interviews were conducted with three different companies each representing best practices in different humanitarian scenarios. Interviews were conducted with Defyrus Inc., the International Trachoma Initiative, and Novartis. The interviews provided valuable insight into humanitarian logistics and will provide useful information to other companies in the industry.