ReviewPublic health challenges2026
The Role of Supply Chain Management in Healthcare Waste Management: A Scoping Review on Reverse Logistics, Inventory Control, and Environmental Health Impacts.
Review in Public health challenges, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Aim: Efficient healthcare waste management (HCWM), guided by supply chain management (SCM) principles such as reverse logistics (RL), inventory control, and regulation, is essential for reducing environmental and health risks. However, weak supply chain systems, particularly in low-resource settings, continue to undermine sustainability. This scoping review maps how SCM influences HCWM globally, focusing on RL and inventory control, their environmental health impacts, and opportunities to strengthen sustainable waste management systems. Methods: The review followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and Arksey and O'Malley framework, structured using the Population-Concept-Context approach. Literature was searched in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost. The research questions were as follows: (1) How does SCM influence HCWM globally? (2) What roles do RL and inventory control play in shaping environmental health impacts within healthcare systems? Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts using Covidence, and study quality was assessed using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: A total of 506 records were identified, of which 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings show that healthcare SCM influences HCWM through interconnected policy, operational, technological, economic, and behavioral domains. Effective inventory control and RL reduce waste and improve resource recovery, whereas weak governance, limited infrastructure, workforce constraints, and low public engagement hinder circular economy (CE) implementation and worsen environmental outcomes. Conclusion: The findings highlight the critical role of SCM in advancing CE practices by promoting waste reduction, traceability, and environmental sustainability. Strengthening regulations, building capacity, and adopting technological innovations are essential to achieving effective and sustainable HCWM.
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Registered trials
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