OPPI organises conference on future of supply chain management in Mumbai

Key stakeholders of the pharma industry congregated at the event to confer and converse on the blueprint to build an effective and efficient supply chain ecosystem for the life sciences industry and drive continuous improvements in its management

OPPI recently organised a day-long conference in Mumbai for the stakeholders of the life sciences industry on the theme, ‘Future of Supply Chain Management.’ It aimed to showcase the importance of effective supply chain management in an age of biologics, gene therapies and personalised medicine which mandates products to be shipped in temperature-controlled conditions within tight timelines.

A Vaidheesh, President, OPPI and VP, South Asia & MD India, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals commenced the event with his welcome address. He highlighted that healthcare needs are changing with time and as a result, the challenges too are unprecedented. He said, “Global best practices ensure that the quality of medicine is not compromised for the Indian patient. Today, healthcare is about longevity of life along with good quality of life. And, one important aspect to enable this would be a responsive and efficient supply chain system. We need a supply chain which ensures that patients receive the right medicines of optimum quality at the right time. Quality of medicines should not be compromised because of challenges in last-mile delivery.”

Next, Dr Sanjit Singh Lamba, MD, Eisai Pharmaceuticals India, drew attention to the fact that India Pharma Inc has lofty ambitions and intends to touch $50 billion by next year. But, it is also at crossroads and needs to rethink its strategies and revamp its systems for continued progress. Emphasising that revamping our supply chain and reducing its complexities is imperative to improve our pharma ecosystem, he opined that there is an urgent need to harmonise standards and services within the supply chain system to facilitate better efficiency and efficacy. Decongesting road pathways and leveraging the potential of rail and water pathways was also one of his recommendations.

The subsequent speaker, Dr YK Gupta, Principal Advisor (Projects), THSTI, took the stage to inform about the significance of drafting policies which will improve our supply chain management. He also said, “We need to make them ready from the academic level itself. Education in good supply chain practices should be given to all stakeholders at all levels in the pharma industry.”

Representatives from the regulatory authorities, Dr Rubina Bose, Deputy Drugs Controller (India), CDSCO West Zone, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Pallavi Dharade, Commissioner Food & Drugs Administration, Commissioner of Food Safety, Maharashtra State also addressed the audience at the conference.

Dr Bose spoke on the pivotal role played by supply chains in ensuring regulatory compliance, dealing with spurious suppliers and ensuring optimum quality. She also rooted for increased collaboration between regulators and industry to optimise the potential of supply chains. Dharade, on the other hand, underscored the importance of good distribution practices and product security while elaborating on the role played by technology in achieving these objectives. She said that tech-driven innovations are revolutionising supply chain systems with better adeptness and far-reaching impact. She also spoke on the measures taken by food regulators to improve quality and urged each stakeholder to do their best towards driving continuous improvements in supply chain management.

Dhaval Buch, Former Chief Procurement Officer, Unilever took the audience through the evolution of supply chain system 1.0 to supply chain system 4.0. He spoke on how priorities have changed and highlighted that the pace of transformation has become very rapid. He informed, while 1.0 to 2.0 took 50 years, the change from 3.0 to 4.0 will leapfrog. He stressed that now transformation will also be driven by predictive demand and therefore all the providers in the supply chain need to be more proactive and get future-ready.

Representing the fourth estate, Viveka Roychowdhury, Editor, Express Healthcare & Express Pharma, accentuated that a patient-centric supply chain is the need of the hour. Elaborating on the urgent measures needed to make it a reality, she stated that pharma companies should break down silos between functions to build an integrated and collaborative supply chain system. She also cautioned pharma companies to strengthen their links and iron out all chinks in their supply chain systems carefully since their products will only be as secure as their weakest link.

Sudarshan Jain, Director General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) also spoke on patient-centricity in supply chains and said, “The future of pharma supply chain will need to ensure that medicines delivered to patient retain effectiveness. Tech-enabled supply chain will not only increase the efficiency and quality of medicines dispensed but will also encourage patient-centred care.”

Experts also commented on the importance of preserving integrity in supply chains and how technology is facilitating this. Kanchana TK, Director General, OPPI said, “Making medicines is a series of complex processes involving manufacturing, supply chain, intermediaries and markets. Ensuring the integrity of the supply chain till it reaches the patient is critical. The future of the pharma supply chain will only get more advanced with the advent of technology and its interface.”