Supporting a Pharmaceutical Wholesaler in the Vehicle Fleet Organization: An Italian Case Study

Pharmaceutical supply chains are very complex and characterized by many actors, who want to maximize their respective revenue. Except for special cases, wholesale distributors are usually in the middle between pharmaceutical manufacturers and retailers. Their role is then crucial for the efficiency of the entire chain. This work mainly aims to support a pharmaceutical wholesaler in the vehicle fleet organization. A quantitative approach is proposed, whose validity is confirmed by the application to a case study in Calabria, a region in South Italy. Studying and optimizing the distribution of medicines means cutting costs and guaranteeing an adequate service level to pharmacies. Ensuring the availability of medicines at any time of the day guarantees the satisfaction of final consumer, who moves this market.