The pharmaceutical industry is big business which contributes considerably to the world’s economy and has a rising global presence. It is estimated that the global pharmaceutical industry is worth about $1 trillion (Statista, 2020). The industry comprises four main segments, namely: (1) the innovative pharmaceutical industry, (2) the biopharmaceutical industry, (3) biologics and (4) the generic pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most innovative industries in the world (Bucalo & Jereb, 2017) and has been one of the world’s most prosperous and lucrative sectors for the past few decades. According to Nedelcheva (2019), the industry’s main activities start with the research phase, then the development phase, and finally the delivery of pharmaceutical drugs. By the 1990s, the South African pharmaceutical industry was already well established and had become the most rapidly growing and mature pharmaceutical industry in Africa, supplying both primary and secondary medicines through local and multinational firms (Viviers et al., 2014). The South African pharmaceutical industry is the largest market for medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Global Africa Network (2020), there are over 200 pharmaceutical firms in South Africa, valued at about R20 billion. The local manufacturing supplies about 70% of the pharmaceutical industry’s demand with generic medicines accounting for 50% of the total market (Investsa, 2020). The private sector accounts for approximately 84% of the market with the public sector accounting for the rest (Maphumulo & Bhengu, 2019).

Supply chain management is the management of all activities that are targeted at satisfying the end consumer (Chopra, 2020). It involves managing supply chain assets and products, information and fund flow to maximise total supply chain surplus (Chopra, 2020). It also involves managing upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers to deliver superior customer value at low cost to the supply chain (Christopher, 2022). As alluded to earlier, PSCs are very complex, combining processes, organisations and operations involved in developing, designing and manufacturing useful pharmaceutical drugs (Singh et al., 2016). According to Amadi and Tsui (2019), a typical PSC process includes importation, registration, procurement and distribution of drugs and medical products, forming a significant component of the healthcare system.

According to Kapoor et al. (2018), the key stakeholders in this supply chain include multiple government agencies, hospitals, clinics, drug manufacturers, drug distributors, pharmacy chains, retailers, research organisations and regulatory boards such as the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). In the pharmaceutical industry, supply chain breakdowns can have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line, but they can also have a direct impact on the health and well-being of patients (Yaroson et al., 2019). A typical PSC can be illustrated in Figure 1.

As per Figure 1, the PSC commences with the manufacturer or supplier of raw materials, who supplies the necessary components for medication synthesis in accordance with the specific product requirements. Subsequently, the finalised products are conveyed to a distribution platform that oversees the storage and extensive dissemination to wholesalers and distributors. These intermediaries subsequently distribute the products to regional distributors, pharmacies and hospitals. During this procedure, financial transactions take place, and crucial demand and inventory data are exchanged. Medications are distributed to end users, usually patients through pharmacies or hospitals. The bidirectional exchange of information frequently occurs, and financial transactions can encompass intricate arrangements such as credit agreements, insurance policies and compensation measures, particularly inside healthcare establishments. A supply chain contains information on everything from facilities to inventory to transportation to costs and prices (Chopra, 2020). Both patient and practitioner practices are central to pharmaceutical research and development (R&D), but supply chain (SC) analysis has emerged as a noteworthy avenue for investigation (Nematollahi et al., 2018). Channels for medication delivery are diverse and handled by parties including pharmaceutical companies and workers, logistics providers, hospitals, laboratories, clinicians, consumers and public entities, among others (Grujić et al., 2020).

Disruptions usually represent spontaneous occurrences of unpredictable duration (Sawik, 2019). Yet, Scheibe and Blackhurst (2018) describe supply chain disruption propagation as the spreading of the effects of disruption beyond the initial location of the disruption. Supply chain disruptions may occur as a result of natural events such as earthquakes or hurricanes or man-made events like wars, terrorist attacks or conflicts (ShakirUllah et al., 2016). In addition, fire or mechanical breakdown in a production facility, an unexpected surge in demand or a reduction in supply are other forms of supply chain disruptions (Gao et al., 2019).

When a disruption occurs in a firm, its effects are often felt throughout the supply chain. Supply chain disruptions significantly affect the short-term performance of the whole supply chain. Unlike other uncertainties, supply chain disruptions are very difficult to predict (Chopra, 2020). Alora and Barua (2019) state that supply chain disruptions reflect a firm’s demand-and-supply mismatch. Supply chain disruptions occur when the normal flow of goods and materials within a supply chain is disturbed (Bui et al., 2021). Therefore, disruptions are unplanned events that may occur in the supply chain and affect the usual or expected flow of materials and components (Wicaksana et al., 2022). Externally induced disruptions are the most difficult to manage because these tend to affect supply chains the most (Wieteska, 2018).

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and far-reaching influence on global supply networks, resulting in extensive disruptions and posing challenges to established operational practices. The global supply networks were exposed to vulnerability as firms and industries worldwide faced challenges such as lockdowns, travel restrictions and shifts in customer behaviour. In the initial stages of the pandemic, Magableh (2021) highlighted the phenomenon of global reliance on suppliers from a single source, particularly in countries heavily touched by COVID-19. This reliance led to bottlenecks that had far-reaching effects on sectors throughout the globe. The situation was further aggravated by logistical and transportation challenges caused by movement limitations, which presented significant barriers to the prompt delivery of both raw materials and completed items (Ivanov, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the vulnerabilities associated with lean supply chain models, which prioritise cost-effectiveness and efficiency but may lack the necessary resilience to withstand disruptions (Queiroz et al., 2022). The aforementioned circumstances resulted in an increasing focus on the notion of supply chain resilience, which encompasses the capacity to anticipate, react to and recuperate from disturbances (Singh et al., 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused significant disruptions to global supply chains in the short term, but also it carries ramifications for long-term supply chain strategies and regulations.

A qualitative research approach with an interpretive paradigm was the most appropriate in addressing the aim of the study, namely, to explore the lessons learned by PSCs from the COVID-19 pandemic. As indicated by Brinkmann and Kvale (2018), qualitative research relies heavily on the art of interpretation.

In this study, the perspectives of supply chain professionals within the South African pharmaceutical industry were considered insightful for the achievement of the objectives of the study. To this end, 25 supply chain professionals were purposively selected on the basis of their experience and deep knowledge of the industry. These participants came from the suppliers, primary pharmaceutical importers, drug manufacturers, drug distributors or wholesalers, pharmacy chains or corporates, independent retail pharmacies and pharmacies at government hospitals. Although 25 participants were interviewed, it was evident after the 22nd interview that data collection had reached saturation point, which is a point where no new ideas emerged. Their selection served the objectives of the study (Bougie & Sekaran, 2020). The researchers’ knowledge of the pharmaceutical industries in South Africa enabled the researcher to approach high-profile individuals, including top management, to participate in the study. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews which were mainly conducted via the online platforms of Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams. Each interview was recorded with a digital voice recorder, following permission to record these proceedings from the participants. As noted by Brinkmann and Kvale (2018), the data obtained from the semi-structured interviews were transcribed in a voice-based format. The researcher used a digital voice recorder as a compliment to the digital voice recorder from the online platform. The recordings were then uploaded to a computer, where the audio files were converted to MP3s and saved. A Microsoft Word document containing the whole transcript of each interview was created.

A qualitative data analysis programme, ATLAS.ti (version 9.1), was used to analyse the transcripts. Firstly, the researcher coded the transcripts. The Results section shows the findings using verbatim quotes from participants. The punctuation in quotations has been modified to improve readability, and any phrases or words omitted from quotations have been noted with ellipses, where applicable. Secondly, thematic analysis was performed. To code and develop themes more comprehensively, the researcher used ATLAS.ti in the following phases: creating the project, adding documents, identifying relevant data segments, coding, writing memos and comments, analysing and querying data, developing models, visualising and generating the final report. The qualitative analysis and interpretation of the results were made once all data had been organised and coded. The key objective was to describe the solutions and comprehend them. A more in-depth look at the data helped the researchers find trends and establish overall themes.

In a process known as thematic analysis, the interview transcripts were read several times to deduce the main themes and topics emanating from it (Kiger & Varpio, 2020). According to Nowell et al. (2017), thematic analysis involves six steps: the initial step of familiarisation with the data involves immersing oneself in the data to become familiar with the depth and breadth of the content. In this regard, the researcher became acquainted with the primary data by reading the transcripts many times until several patterns began to emerge (Gibbs, 2018). The initial codes were generated by identifying important features of the data that might be relevant to answering the research question and were coded for later stages of analysis. In the third step of searching for themes, codes were sorted into potential themes, which are collections of codes that appear to form a pattern. In the next step, themes were reviewed and refined. Then the themes were defined and named. Finally, the analytic narrative and data extracts were weaved together and contextualised in relation to existing literature.

In this study, four features of trustworthiness were applied, namely, credibility, dependability, transferability and conformability. Credibility ensures that themes are accurately represented participants’ experiences; dependability helps provide a clear description of their analytic process; transferability offers rich descriptions of findings so that others can judge their applicability in other settings; and confirmability ensures documenting the research process in detail for potential external audits (Nowell et al., 2017). In this study, the researchers rigorously adhered to ethical standards. Prior to conducting the study, ethical clearance was obtained to ensure that all processes aligned with the necessary ethical requirements to ensure the rights, dignity and well-being of all participants. Participants were given firm assurances regarding the confidentiality and anonymity of their personal information and other data collected throughout the course of the study. Each participant was assured of their right to withdraw at any point if they felt uncomfortable during the interview process.

The primary data collected by means of the semi-structured interviews needed analysis. Following thematic analysis, the following themes emerged from the study: supply networks, demand planning and management, supply chain coordination, inventory management, logistics management and local production. Table 2 presents a categorisation of the themes that emerged from the primary data.

Despite the study’s contribution to the body of knowledge on supply chain disruptions, it was not without limitations. While the study sought to elicit responses from participants with deep knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, it did not consider the perspectives and insights of employees at junior levels who generally outstay senior members of management in companies. Thus future studies can also include perspectives from junior members of staff. Using the themes which emerged from this study, qualitative analysis using exploratory factor analysis could be used to determine factors which are crucial to manage major disruptions in the various industries. Another limitation that is acknowledged is that being qualitative in nature, the study only elicited views from a limited number of participants, albeit they possess the necessary expertise. For an industry of this size, future studies could consider a quantitative approach where the views of all supply chain practitioners are canvassed.

Drawing upon the findings of this investigation, further scholarly inquiries may further explore the formulation of tactics aimed at augmenting the robustness of PSCs, particularly in response to disruptions akin to the COVID-19 outbreak. This may encompass the examination of novel demand planning and management models, the exploration of technical breakthroughs that have the potential to enhance supply chain coordination, and the identification of optimal approaches to inventory management, with a specific focus on safety stock. Moreover, there is a need for a more comprehensive exploration of the potential of local manufacturing in strengthening supply chain resilience, with a particular focus on examining the socioeconomic effects associated with this transition. Furthermore, it is worth exploring the potential effects of proactive strategies, such as the prequalification of suppliers based on their preparedness for disruptions. This approach has the potential to result in decreased lead times during times of crisis.