Leveraging the power of the pharmaceutical industry for improved human rights outcomes

A quarterly series blog posts about responsible supply chain management from the PSCI Chair, Vicki Stone-Bjarup

What does this mean for pharmaceutical companies? When thinking about human rights in the context of the pharma industry, the right to health immediately comes to mind. But the sector does have an important impact on a broader range of human rights – first and foremost, labour rights. At the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI), we are working to ensure that any human rights risks are mitigated and turned into positive outcomes down the supply chain.

To do so, the PSCI has committed to support all its members in implementing the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). They are based on the International Bill of Human Rights and the ILO Core Labour Rights Conventions and provide guidance for companies to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations. We recognise that all companies have the responsibility to respect human rights according to the UNGPs.  

Setting direct expectations on the pharmaceutical industry, the PSCI has adopted Principles for Responsible Supply Chain Management specifically covering human rights, focusing on six issues that are most common in supply chains: (1) Freely Chosen Employment, (2) Child Labour and Young Workers, (3) Non-Discrimination, (4) Fair Treatment, (5) Wages, Benefits, and Working Hours, and (6) Freedom of Association. As our member companies are committed to respect human rights, the PSCI expects that suppliers, in turn, make the same commitment and treat all people who may be impacted by their operations with dignity and respect. 

To support pharmaceutical companies and suppliers in their implementation of the Principles, the PSCI has developed a maturity assessment against the six common Human Rights & Labour issues and seven further human rights topic areas. Based on our Maturity Model, companies can identify if their program is Starting, Developing, Implementing or Leading. We also provide a Learning Plan mapping all the guidance, tools, and resources the PSCI has available to enable pharmaceutical supply chains to improve. 

To ensure the PSCI Learning Plan is up to date with the latest developments in the field, we’re constantly publishing new resources, delivering training sessions, and organising conferences for suppliers around the world. Most recently, the PSCI has published a series of briefings on eight human rights notions from the PSCI Principles, to help suppliers understand the relevance of fundamental rights to their business. We have also created a due diligence process for managing the procurement of high-risk raw materials. Finally, we delivered sessions on responsible procurement and labour codes at our annual conferences in India and China, attended by hundreds of suppliers from the region. Looking ahead, we’ll be doing a deep dive into responsible buying and human rights due diligence at our upcoming global conference. 

This year, to mark Human Rights Day, the PSCI has published a video reiterating our commitment to driving good human rights practices in pharmaceutical supply chains and outlining the resources we have available to help make it happen across the industry. 

Together with our members, the PSCI understands that society and business are best served by responsible business behaviours and practices. With our training materials, conferences, and tools, we aim not only to ensure the upholding of our Principles, but also to support all our members in implementing the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in their supply chain and improving their human rights impacts around the world. 

The PSCI: Creating a better supply chain in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.
The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI) is the top membership body driving excellence in safety, environmental and social outcomes across the global pharma & healthcare supply chain. We believe that collectively PSCI members can share knowledge and expertise, across our industry, to drive complex, global change more effectively than any one organisation alone. We have joined forces to promote responsible supply chain management and better business conditions across the industry.

Twitter: @PSCInitiative 
LinkedIn: PSCI – Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative

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