Additive manufacturing and its impact on pharmaceutical supply chains

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) also known as 3D printing has the potential to improve the performance of the pharmaceutical supply chain (PSC). By using 3D printing for manufacturing drugs pharmaceutical companies can reduce waste by using only the required number of raw materials and eliminating excess inventory. This chapter will provide a systematic literature review of the state of the art of AM in PSC and develop a conceptual framework to explain their interconnections. It was found that 3D printing impacts the SC in three main ways: reducing complexity moving manufacturing facilities closer to the end user and shifting production from make-to-stock to make-to-order. These changes influence the inventory level which in turn affects SC sustainability efficiency responsiveness and resilience. This study provides a conceptual framework that illustrates the interrelationships between various variables in the medical SC impacted by 3D printing technology. © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.