PSCI Annual Audit Findings Analysis showcases pharma supply chain risks

The PSCI releases its annual Audit Findings Analysis, providing continued insights into supplier risks, trends, and areas for improvement across the pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain. 

Health & Safety remains a central topic with Governance & Management Systems growing in prominence.

Leading membership association, the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI), published its 2024 Audit Findings Analysis, providing continued insights into supplier risk, trends, and areas for improvement across the pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain. 

Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies run thousands of audits of their suppliers’ sites annually. Audits typically require between two to four days of focused, on-site effort from both the auditor and the supplier. PSCI Members work together to share these audits, in support of greater transparency and valuable efficiencies that benefit both Members and Suppliers.

Each year, the PSCI analyses the findings from PSCI audits in line with the PSCI Principles to identify trends, highlight improvements, and share recommendations. Overall, this analysis provides deep insight into supplier practices within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry and suggests where collaborative efforts will have the greatest impact, guiding the PSCI on developing targeted resources and trainings.

This year’s report analyses 2,046 findings from 228 supplier audits uploaded to the PSCI platform in 2024. These findings are categorised into 428 Governance & Management Systems findings, 26 Ethics findings, 273 Human Rights findings, 1,098 Health & Safety findings, and 221 Environment findings, offering a comprehensive overview of supplier practices and opportunities for improvement. The report includes a summary of findings across key topics, as well as a regional analysis looking at patterns across China, India, USA, Western Europe, and other regions represented in this year’s uploads, presenting recommended actions for suppliers.

What’s new this year?

A new five-year trend analysis that shows how volumes, topics and severity have changed over time. This analysis enhances the PSCI’s ability to monitor momentum over time and to adapt their resources to emerging risks – supporting safer work, protected rights, and reduced environmental impact throughout the value chain.

Key findings from the 2024 Report: 

• In 2024, the PSCI community uploaded more audits than ever to the PSCI platform; over 200, demonstrating great progress by PSCI Members & Supplier Partners. 
• Health & Safety remains the largest source of findings by volume, reflecting consistent auditor focus on this business-critical and potentially life-threatening topic.
• Governance & Management Systems increased in relative prominence since 2023, overtaking Environment as a proportion of total findings, reflecting greater auditor focus on risk management, supplier due diligence against international standards, and incident investigation expectations.
• Human Rights findings show sharper attention to contract worker treatment and alignment with international frameworks.

The report reinforces the PSCI’s role as a catalyst for continuous improvement, equipping suppliers with tools and guidance to enhance practices and adapt to evolving demands.

For more details, access the full report here.