Analysis of Lean Six Sigma Use in Pharmaceutical Production

Abstract Over the last years, pharmaceutical industries have adopted continuous improvement and operational excellence programs to optimize processes, improve quality and reduce operational costs. Worldwide, Lean Manufacturing (LM) and Six Sigma (SS), as well as the integration of the two methods: Lean Six Sigma (LSS) are the most used approaches in the continuous improvement of industries and services. This work aims to investigate the employment of the Lean Six Sigma methodology in the productive areas of pharmaceutical companies located in Brazil. Interviews were conducted with managers of pharmaceutical industries that apply the approach. The results indicated the greater use of Lean Manufacturing tools compared to Six Sigma and the influence of specific peculiarities of the pharmaceutical industry on the benefits that are achieved with the use of Lean Six Sigma. The approach is considered of great value as it provides substantial benefits to the pharmaceutical industry. It is concluded that the work corroborates to the theoretical and empirical knowledge about the methodology use in the context of Brazilian pharmaceutical industries, as well as contributes to the implementation, reformulation, and improvement of Lean Six Sigma programs in this industrial segment.

The public production of medicines in Brazil.

The paper aims to contribute as a reflection on the public production of medicines in Brazil. Public producers present themselves as strategic in Brazil, either as price regulators, in meeting the demands of the Ministry of Health (MoH) on neglected products and those at risk of shortage to SUS. The study used the official bases of the MoH, National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and Website of Official Pharmaceutical Laboratories (OPL). Thirty-three OPL were identified, 16 with active production of drug registration at ANVISA. For the remaining 17 LFOs, no one identified active portfolio in the bases surveyed. There are 80% of the OPL portfolio concentrated in the first level of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification, such as alimentary tract and metabolism, blood and blood forming organs, cardiovascular system, anti-infective for systemic use and nervous system. The OPL participation in the health complex is 48.6% of its portfolio dedicated to the strategic component, 30.6% for primary care and 20.7% for the specialized. It concludes the relevance of the OPL for the Brazilian health policy, with the better realignment of their potential in the face of technological advancement, health legislation, drug dependence and new treatment protocols.