Enhancing visibility in the hospital pharmaceutical supply chain: a design science approach Emergent Research Forum (ERF)

Healthcare remains a very crucial sector for every economy. Medicines or drugs serve as essential consumables for the treatment of ailments and hence making them essential commodities in healthcare delivery. The hospital pharmaceutical supply chain of most emerging economies has not been given the requisite attention in relation to enhancing visibility among the stakeholders. The lack of visibility within the supply chain leads to drug shortages in hospitals. Some studies have identified the problem of visibility in pharmaceutical supply chains. However, a few of these studies tend to offer solutions to deal with this crucial issue. From a design science perspective, the current study relies on information systems research framework to design an architecture for a class of systems aimed at enhancing supply chain visibility and in effect help to mitigate the issue of drug shortage resulting from ineffective supply chain management.