Exploring the reasons to shortage of antibiotics in pharmacies : A case study on Sweden

Abstract: The increased use of antibiotics is considered to be correlated to the increased resistance against antibiotics, hence responsible use is necessary for it to remain efficient and sustainable. To mitigate the resistance, a wide variety of antibiotics should be made available with different Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), providing patients with more aimed cures rather than just few general antibiotics applied for several diseases. A wider range of products requires more effort in maintaining the availability and assuring that antibiotics are always available to be prescribed to patients to buy at their local pharmacies. Facilitating a general availability and minimizing shortages traces back to the procurement process in the supply chain and the relations between involved stakeholders. Pharmaceutical supply chains are highly regulated and monitored by governmental agencies. This thesis aims to explore the procurement process, specifically from the perspective of the pharmacies in Sweden and identify reasons that may cause availability issues and shortage of antibiotics. The research is based on literature review and empirical data collection through interviews with stakeholders in the supply chain. Through cause-and-effect analysis, the reasons behind shortages have been identified, and the pricing model Product of the Period, PoP, has theoretically shown to be the major contributor to the issues. Further research needs to be conducted with a quantitative approach to assess how big of an impact PoP has on the supply chain and antibiotics shortages. The proposed solution is that stakeholders in the supply chain have to start measuring the shortages, specifically for antibiotics.