Utilizing Machine Learning in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

The pharmaceutical supply chain refers to the process and components involved in the manufacturing and delivery of drugs that patients need promptly. It is a complicated process that involves synchronization between multiple entities and systems. There are multiple stakeholders along the way, each with its own success criteria that define how the drug gets manufactured, distributed, and prescribed. The prescription drugs are sent directly to pharmacies that distribute them to patients in accordance with their prescriptions. Nonprescription drugs or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are sold directly by retailers to consumers. In both cases, demand forecasting for the drug has a big influence on its manufacturing and distribution. Knowing how much of a particular drug would be needed at a particular pharmacy or store helps optimize manufacturing and distribution pipelines to ensure they can keep up with demand.

To ensure pharmaceutical...