Pfizer today announced plans to shutter eight manufacturing plants and to reduce the workforce by 6,000 at six other sites.

Sites to cease operations by 2015 are located in Ireland, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Plants where operations will be reduced over the next several years are in Germany, Ireland, Puerto Rico, U.K, and the U.S.

"We must continue to adjust to the fast-changing and extremely competitive environment in which we operate," said Nat Ricciardi, president of Pfizer Global Manufacturing, in a statement. "That means realigning our network and reducing our manufacturing capacity so that we can position Pfizer for the next phase of growth across biopharmaceuticals and our diversified business portfolio."

Pfizer Global Manufacturing presently operates 78 plants internationally with a workforce of approximately 33,000.

The company plans to discontinue manufacturing operations at three solid-dose sites that manufacture tablets and capsules: Caguas in Puerto Rico; Loughbeg in Ireland; and Rouses Point, N.Y., in the U.S. The company also plans to phase out pharmaceutical solid-dose manufacturing at Guayama, Puerto Rico, and that site will expand its Consumer Healthcare operations.

Two aseptic facilities that make sterile injectable medicines are targeted for exit: Dublin; and Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Reductions are planned at two other solid-dose facilities: Illertissen, Germany, and Newbridge, Ireland.

The company said it will reduce operations at its sites that manufacture vaccines and large-molecule medicines, including plans to exit operations in Shanbally, Ireland, as well as biotechnology manufacturing in Pearl River, N.Y., in the U.S. Plants in Sanford, N.C., and Andover, Mass., in the U.S. and Havant, in the U.K, also expect to see reductions.