Is COVID-19 the long overdue wake-up call for pharma supply chains?

Part 2

Here is Part 2…

This is a share of Part 2, Is COVID-19 the long overdue wake-up call for pharma supply chains?

Part 1 is here, in case you missed it:

Is COVID-19 the long overdue wake-up call for pharma supply chains? Part 1

Part 2 begins:

Part 1 revisited

In Part 1, the many supply chain issues identified during CoVid-19 were attributed to an over-emphasis on regulatory data creation and collection during product development. The work of building supply chains that are responsive to spikes in demand, cost effective and resilient in the face of unanticipated events, seems to be overlooked.

The conclusion was that only a new model for product development could reverse the situation. Part 2 aims to flesh out the basics of that new model, which involves a paradigm shift for the industry, then present the principles and practices of strategic supply-chain management (SSM)

Only a paradigm shift will do

For readers of a more sceptical persuasion, I should say something about the nature of a paradigm shift, as explained by Thomas Kuhn[i]:

Scientific practice alternates periods of normal science with periods of revolutionary science. In normal periods, scientists tend to subscribe to an interconnecting body of knowledge, methods, and assumptions (the reigning paradigm). In the search for answers to “puzzles” in the field, certain solutions become regarded as exemplar.

As an example of ‘the reigning paradigm’ and ‘exemplar approaches’, we only have to turn to the auto industry for enlightenment. In the 1950s and 1960s, the reigning paradigm in the West was based on high volume production of one-size-fits-all automobiles, where quality occupied second place to cranking out the numbers. All that time, the Japanese revolution in production systems was taking place – resulting in a paradigm shift that permeated the industry globally, resulting in a steely focus on customer value, 6 sigma quality standards and dramatic productivity improvements.

I suspect the sceptics will not be convinced that a similar shift could happen in pharma. If you are one, who would blame you! However, please try to reserve judgement until the end.

So, let’s begin with some real-world evidence, by taking medicines back to the future – 1928 to be exact.

Penicillin leads the way

The penicillin story is well known. For those that need reminding, the mother of all antibiotics was developed by Alexander Fleming. On his return from holiday in August 1928, he noticed that bacteria had not grown in one of his culture dishes. He obtained an extract from the mould in the dish, naming it ‘penicillium‘. The rest is history…or is it?

Not according to Robert P. Gaynes, author of Germ Theory, and the article The Discovery of Penicillin—New Insights After More Than 75 Years of Clinical Use.

In his book, Gaynes states “Due to its importance in medicine, the story of penicillin’s discovery has become shrouded in legend and distorted truths.” Gaynes’ article explains the distorted truths, summarised below: