Recovering Millions in Missed Rebates For a European Pharma Company

A Europe-based pharmaceutical company operating across multiple regions manages a highly complex supplier network that spans research, manufacturing, and commercial operations. The scale of its operations—and the variation in financial processes across countries—creates persistent challenges in maintaining payment accuracy and enforcing consistent controls.

A multi-region audit was conducted across Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and Portugal. The engagement included a disbursement review of 495,000 invoices and 7.7b CHF (≈ €7.2b / £6.2b) in auditable expenditures, along with a supplier statement review of 2,000 suppliers to identify aged credits and discrepancies not evident in system data alone.

The audit delivered 1.6m CHF (≈ €1.5m / £1.3m) across 100 recoveries, with the most recurring driver—identified across three audit cycles—being a repeated control gap related to securing rebate allowances. This recurring issue highlighted a significant opportunity to strengthen oversight and prevent future leakage.