REVERSE LOGISTICS OF MEDICINES

case study in the veterinary sector

Abstract

Reverse Logistics can be defined as the return of post-sale and post-consumption goods to the business or production cycle. The objective of this research was to analyze the reverse logistics of medication (LRM) in a company of the veterinary sector, identifying the main difficulties, barriers, and opportunities to the implementation of reverse logistics of veterinary drugs aligned with the current legislation. The research method was a case study carried out in a veterinary medicine company in the city of Jaboticabal, São Paulo. The main sectors in which the company operates are Horses, Dogs and Cattle. The company receives through its own Reverse Logistics channels between 1,000 and 5,000 kg of unserviceable medication every month. The biggest difficulties were: internal - the lack of commitment from employees to participate and the unavailability of financial investment in infrastructure and training; external - the absence of incentives (public/private) to make this channel effective and the absence of environmental awareness and community participation. The biggest barriers identified were: internal - focus only on operational and productive issues and lack of investment in environmental aspects; external - perception of poor quality of recovered materials and the absence of secondary markets. Adding value to the waste was listed as the biggest opportunity that may exist for the area of Reverse Logistics of Veterinary Drugs within the company.