Logistics operator in the cuban pharmaceutical supply chain

Abstract

The current state of the pharmaceutical supply chain in Cuba demands the intervention of an operator for the global and effective management of logistic operations. Considering the structure and positioning in the supply chain, the Drug Commercialization Company has potential characteristics that favor its transformation into a logistics service provider. This paper analyses the requirements and perspectives of the company, in order to establish the theoretical basis for the development of pharmaceutical logistics in Cuba. As a result of the specialized bibliographic review, ten primary functions for a logistics operator are defined. According to the challenges presented, the preliminary results of a national wide survey identified logistics integration variables that currently affect the supply chain management. In addition, the paper presents specific strategies and research works to be implemented, in order to achieve a higher integration level through the implementation of a logistics operator in the pharmaceutical supply chain.