Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.

The main purpose of the research was to examine the process of lobbying in the context of the pharmaceutical industry. It sought to explore "why" and "how" multinational companies carried out pharmaceutical lobbying in Argentina. The study aimed to build valid substantive theory that could be used to analyse pharmaceutical lobbying from different perspectives and used corporatism and pluralism to explain the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and government. The application of interest groups formation theory permitted the identification of the pharmaceutical industry as an interest group and the identification of its lobbying style. Lobbying theories based on contribution payments and transmission of information were explored in order to understand the use of these policies in the process of pharmaceutical lobbying. The review of literature on American pharmaceutical lobbying helped in understanding the peculiar instruments and practices present in pharmaceutical lobbying and gave the reader an understanding of the characteristics of this market. The research took a phenomenological methodological approach and the research paradigm was post-positivist and constructivist. The researcher followed the grounded theory methodology approach of Strauss and Corbin. The researcher collected data through in-depth semi-structured interviews and participant observation of in-house and external pharmaceutical lobbyists as well as officials. The study made several contributions. Firstly, it positioned the pharmaceutical industry as an interest group in the pluralism-corporatism axis as a means to provide a framework for the understanding of its lobbying activities. Secondly, the study defined the lobbying style of the pharmaceutical industry in Argentina compared to lobbying performed in the USA and the EU. Thirdly, it provided a pharmaceutical industry basic lobbying model for Argentina that can be tested in other countries. Finally, it provided a model of cooperative or individual lobbying that stated when it was convenient to build coalitions.

Organisations are continuously seeking for strategies to improve operations and gain competitive advantage. Maintenance tends to be a key management issue for many industrial companies. Maintenance management, being an integral part of manufacturing, can influence competitive companys‟ priorities, such as cost, quality and flexibility, and, hence, business strategy directly. The pharmaceutical industry also faces some unique challenges such as increasingly stringent safety and quality regulations, the effect of innovations in medical science and healthcare and a complex and costly design-to-market process (from product concept and development to market delivery). The industry is also going through turbulent times as it has to cope with challenges common to many other industries, how to deal with increasing competition, hold down costs, and expand. Regulatory compliance is one of the significant industry drivers for pharmaceutical companies. Regulations are enacted by government authorities to ensure public health and safety. The focus of regulation is on quality assurance and control in all areas such as receiving, manufacturing, storing, packaging, despatching and delivering. Apart from the required quality and safety checks, the regulations also mandate extensive record keeping of procedures, processes and systems. This treatise will investigate the maintenance management system of a pharmaceutical company and compare it to best practices. The true name of the pharmaceutical company that will be researched will not be disclosed for confidentiality reasons, instead it will be called My Pharmaceuticals. The company is based in Port Elizabeth. The research consists of a preliminary study to identify the problem areas in the maintenance management system within the company. A literature review of best practices in maintenance management systems combined with an investigation into the best pharmaceutical practices in maintenance management systems and regulatory controls are investigated and a model will be proposed to improve the current situation at the company.

Abstract: The main purpose of this academic work is to study how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is incorporated in companies in pharmaceutical industry, with emphasis on the interaction between the enterprise and the community. The goal is to understand what benefits may this collaboration bring in the long-term. In order to fulfil these objectives, a study case was built based on GlaxoSmithKline Plc., which has been using these practices and has a valuable impact in the countries it is present in. The study insists on the necessity of seeing CSR as a part of any successful business strategy involving all members of the value chain. Patient is the one who benefits the most from CSR activities in pharmaceutical industry, and patient is the one who pays and talks.

Thesis advisor: Charles Murry / This dissertation addresses questions in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. In the first chapter, I study the welfare effects of price discrimination in the medical device industry. In the second chapter, I document shifts in the marketing and prescription behavior for a drug after it is acquired. In the third chapter I study the reputation spillover effects of a major medical device recall. Chapter 1: Implantable medical device manufacturers are able to directly price discriminate by setting different prices for the same product in different hospitals. I analyze the welfare effects of this form of price discrimination in the case of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs). I find that if ICD manufacturers were forced to switch to uniform pricing, prices increase on average, which causes a decline in hospital welfare and manufacturer profits. Allowing manufacturers to indirectly price discriminate by strategically delaying the exit of old products to target their elastic consumers can cause an increase in product variety, which can lead to different welfare predictions. If we fail to account for a manufacturer's ability change their product offerings in response to a uniform pricing policy, we can overestimate the effects of uniform pricing on hospital welfare, underestimate the effect of uniform pricing on the take up of older, lower quality products, and we may overestimate or underestimate the effects of uniform pricing on manufacturer profitability. Chapter 2: In this chapter, Motaz Al-Chanati and I document novel evidence of a shift in marketing and prescription behavior for a drug after its acquisition. Network size is highly relevant for this industry, as advertising to physicians (known as detailing) typically involves in-person meetings between sales representatives and physicians. We use 10 drug acquisitions in 2015-2016 to document patterns in the data consistent with firms leveraging their existing physician-sales representative networks to market a drug after they acquire it. We also show that this shift in marketing strategy translates into prescription behavior, i.e. after a drug is acquired, physicians that have prior relationships with the acquiring firm increase their prescriptions of it. Chapter 3: I analyze the effects a major product recall in the implantable medical device industry on the sales of other products manufactured by the recalling firxm. I find that after the recall, consumers substituted away from the recalling firm's other products that were not recalled, and toward the products of the recalling firm's rivals. I also quantify the heterogeneity in the response to this recall based on two consumer characteristics: firm loyalty and exposure. I construct proxies for these characteristics, and I find that while consumers that were more exposed to the recall did not have a significantly different response to it, consumers that were more loyal to the recalling firm had smaller responses to it. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

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Yes / Objective: The adverse impact of supply chain disruptions on the operational performance of supply chains have been suggested to emanate from its existing vulnerabilities. However, empirical studies regarding this proposition remain limited. This study provides empirical evidence of vulnerabilities in the face of dynamic disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain. This is geared at developing resilience strategies capable of curbing these forms of disruptions. Research Approach: In seeking to achieve the objective of this study, the mixed method research design in a longitudinal framework was adopted. It involved a two-step procedure where the study began by conducting semi-structured interviews with the downstream stakeholders of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Here the sampling method adopted was both purposive and snowballing. Data collected from this process was analysed using thematic analysis where key variables were coded for further analysis. Findings from the interviews were employed to construct close ended questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered online, approximately nine months after the first data collection process ended and analysed using various statistical techniques. Findings: The themes that emerged from the first phase of the data generation process were classified into five main pillars which include: supply chain characteristics, regulatory framework (schemas), imbalance of market power, managerial decisions and supply chain structures. These themes were further confirmed by the findings from the survey. The study finds that imbalance of market power generates negative welfare such as time consumption and stress on the downstream stakeholders of the pharmaceutical supply chain. In the same vein, dependence on suppliers and consumers in designing the supply chain exacerbates the impact of a dynamic disruption. The findings from the survey complement these pillars by identifying other vulnerabilities: price manipulation, inadequate policies, inefficient manufacturing processes as well as available training in handling these vulnerabilities. Originality/Value: By providing empirical evidence of the vulnerabilities within the pharmaceutical supply chain in the face of a dynamic disruption, this study extends operations management literature by highlighting vulnerability benchmarks against which resilience strategies can be employed in dynamic disruptive scenarios. The innovative aspect of this research is the ability to identify the vulnerabilities peculiar to the pharmaceutical supply chain which is required in order to successfully develop strategies that are resilient to dynamic disruptions. Research Impact: This study extends existing debates on supply chain vulnerabilities as well as supply chain disruptions. Practical Impact: This study contributes to practical managerial decisions, as the identifications of vulnerabilities to dynamic disruptions will aid pharmaceutical and or operations managers in assessing supplier selection and design.

The purpose of this research paper is to examine and evaluate the economic significance of the pharmaceutical wholesaler in South Africa’s health care industry. The pharmaceutical wholesaler experienced several challenges over the last decade. These challenges originated from changes in the competitive environment of the industry and more recent changes in the regulatory environment brought on by the State in its attempts to make medicine more accessible to the South African public. The wholesaler was forced by these changes to adapt its business model drastically in order to remain competitive. Historically the wholesaler made its profits by purchasing bulk at a discount, passing a fraction of the discount to its customers and adding a mark-up to the purchase price. It was now forced to abandon the discount and mark-up scheme and distribute medicines by negotiating a fee for the services it renders. Wholesalers now not only have to compete between themselves but also with distributors on the same basis - by negotiating logistics fees with pharmaceutical manufacturers. Operating efficiency and customer service have become essential ingredients for the wholesaler in its quest to remain competitive. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

The purpose of this research paper is to examine and evaluate the economic significance of the pharmaceutical wholesaler in South Africa’s health care industry. The pharmaceutical wholesaler experienced several challenges over the last decade. These challenges originated from changes in the competitive environment of the industry and more recent changes in the regulatory environment brought on by the State in its attempts to make medicine more accessible to the South African public. The wholesaler was forced by these changes to adapt its business model drastically in order to remain competitive. Historically the wholesaler made its profits by purchasing bulk at a discount, passing a fraction of the discount to its customers and adding a mark-up to the purchase price. It was now forced to abandon the discount and mark-up scheme and distribute medicines by negotiating a fee for the services it renders. Wholesalers now not only have to compete between themselves but also with distributors on the same basis - by negotiating logistics fees with pharmaceutical manufacturers. Operating efficiency and customer service have become essential ingredients for the wholesaler in its quest to remain competitive. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL