Pharmaceutical distribution in urban area: an integrated analysis and perspective of the case of Brussels-Capital Region (BRC).

The Brussels-Capital Region is often known to be the most congested urban area in Europe (INRIX Traffic Scorecard 2014). The pharmaceutical industry appears to be a relevant actor in urban freight distribution in this region. Indeed, the daily flow of goods is quite impressive, with around 30 hospitals and 700 pharmacies being delivered several times a day by warehouses and wholesale distributor located on the border of the Brussels-Capital Region. This article aims to describe and analyze of current last mile distribution model of drugs for human use in the Brussels-Capital Region and to propose recommendations to improve last mile drug distribution in this area. Three potential solutions have been evaluated in this article: Night deliveries, Micro-consolidation centers and home deliveries.