Medical logistics refers to medical, surgical, and pharmaceutical supplies. These include medical devices supplies, laboratory and medical equipment, products, other items, and equipment pieces to support physicians, doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinary, and many other healthcare providers.
In the medical field its a necessity that medical logistics management companies are the ones providing solutions for smart transportation and ensuring no shortage of healthcare products.
Medical Logistics – the real Supply Chain
Logistics includes entities participating in getting products to customers from start to end. The raw material acquired to extract reaches the end-user as the final product.
Supply chain management refers to the flow or movement of services and products. The management of each item is towards delivering customers a product. People working in SCM are into the creation and delivery of each product creation. Today, Medical logistics adopt supply chain management theories and approaches to drive the costs down.
The functions of medical logistics comprise of the important healthcare system. It includes medical supplies as one component of healthcare. The providers of medical logistics adapt to the theories of supply chain management.
Climate Control
Pharmaceutical and medical products are unique and require climate control conditions. Extreme temperatures disturb the solid and liquid medicines, besides the medical technology products. Shippers traditionally took the products of temperature at loading and unloading points.
The transportation process does not provide temperature data to the clients. It is problematic at the unloading point. Skipping the most important feature, the climate and temperature control means the patients will not receive the required medicines.
Today, Bluetooth and wireless technologies, smart packing, and real-time temperature allow shippers to monitor temperature data. Therefore, rail, air, and ground transportation ensure climate-controlled warehouses, facilitating storage and transportation.
Efficiency Vs. Effectiveness
Medical logistics companies focus on efficiency and effectiveness:
- Efficiency is about performing or functioning the best possible with less waste and effort.
- Effectiveness is about ensuring a project and accomplishing its purpose, the intended or expected result.
Efficiency is the priority for a logistics firm. The medical logistics companies’ customers are equally responsible for the lives and health of their patients. Thus, ensuring everything serves the right purpose without fail refers to effectiveness, and it matters.
Today, embracing technology is important for pharmaceutical and medical logistics. These technologies support the tracking and security of medicines as it features regulators determining the identity, authenticity, and whereabouts of the drug product. It ensures shipments security anywhere in the world.
Discover how Vision can help you with your Healthcare Logistics, please get in touch with one of our team today or learn more about us.
