Circular Economy in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Theoretical Background and Bibliometric Analysis

The growing pressure to minimize environmental impact has pushed industries, including the pharmaceutical sector, to rethink their production models, favoring sustainable development. Among these, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce resource consumption, eliminate waste, and enhance supply chain resilience. While the adoption of CE principles is gaining momentum in several manufacturing sectors, its application within the pharmaceutical industry remains fragmented and underexplored due to sectorspecific constraints. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 93 peerreviewed articles indexed in the Scopus database, published between 2020 and 2025. The review begins with a conceptual framework defining CE, sustainability, and pharmaceutical waste, followed by a detailed methodological approach. Through bibliometric mapping and qualitative content analysis, this paper identifies the main research trends, integration strategies, enablers, and barriers related to CE implementation in pharmaceuticals. The findings reveal a growing academic interest in aligning CE with pharmaceutical sustainability goals, yet highlight the need for integrated models and sector-specific innovations. This work serves as a basis for future research aiming to bridge CE with digitalization and Lean Manufacturing, to support a smarter, safer, and more circular pharmaceutical ecosystem.