Assessing Disruptions in Pharmaceutical Supply Chains: A Qualitative Study of Resilience and Risks in the South African Context

This study evaluates the disruptions in South African pharmaceutical supply chains, focusing on resilience mechanisms and risk factors essential for maintaining continuity and efficiency amidst various disruptions. It leverages a comprehensive literature review and qualitative insights from interviews with 25 local experts, employing a phenomenological approach to explore the strategic experiences and adaptations to supply chain challenges. Findings highlight the significance of diversified sourcing, strategic adaptability, and local production enhancement in ensuring supply chain robustness and pharmaceutical availability. The research underscores the importance of robust risk management, strategic foresight, and local capability investment, offering practical insights for stakeholders to enhance supply chain resilience. Contributing valuable perspectives to supply chain management discourse, it enriches the understanding of resilience and risk mitigation in the pharmaceutical sector, providing a basis for informed strategic planning and policymaking to safeguard against future disruptions.