Although the two fields are worlds apart in practice, medicine and logistics share a similar purpose: establish a solid solution and when an ailment occurs, find the safest, most efficient way to treat it. And both fields understand that solutions are not one size fits all – that what one patient or customer needs might not work for another case, that adjustments must be made for maximum effectiveness.
That’s why, as healthcare trends toward more custom-engineered treatments for patients, logistics partners must once again evaluate supply chain strategies for technologies that require special care and handling. With the right mix of planning, monitoring and data management, carriers can successfully deliver the tools and treatments that make the personalized medicine revolution possible.
Here’s a brief overview of some of the key complexities involved in delivering these technologies, and how logistics companies and carriers can begin to address them:
Moving time-sensitive medicines efficiently
Over the years, as medicine has evolved to give us life-saving treatments ranging from vaccines and antibiotics to cell and gene therapies, logistics professionals have evolved alongside it. They’ve created shipping environments to keep medicines at subzero temperatures, and packaging to keep them from getting damaged along the way. The one thing they can’t win the battle against, however, is time. Many treatments can’t survive, or lose their effectiveness quickly, if delivery to the patient’s hospital or clinic takes too long.
While carriers can choose the packaging rated for the duration of the medicine’s expected journey, whether that is 24, 48 or 72 hours, they also need to plan for unexpected delays that can damage the treatment in transit. Investments in predictive analytics must continue to be a top priority for carriers for this reason. These tools can help us understand the impact a weather event such as a hurricane might have on destination airports or dockyards, and reschedule or reroute delivery as needed. Predictive analytics helps carriers reduce the chance that a delivery will not be made on time.
Mastering the “last mile” – wherever it goes
Major carriers have the infrastructure in place to move medicines and medical devices within and between metropolitan areas, as its quick and cost-effective – a single delivery driver on a route through Philadelphia may be able to make 25 or 30 drop-offs in one shift. However, not every patient in need of a personalized treatment is easily accessible from a metro area. In scenarios where a delivery driver might only make 4 or 5 rural stops while traveling greater distances, larger carriers may choose to outsource last mile deliveries to smaller, independent contractors. This new addition to the medicine’s chain of custody increases the chances it may be damaged before it reaches the patient’s door as smaller delivery services may not have the same quality of care standards as their larger counterparts.
To help reduce security concerns within their third-party relationships, carriers should review their existing agreements with these white glove services, and consider tightening the regulations governing the partnership. This might include requiring additional training for drivers, or outfitting vehicles with technology to measure variables such as humidity and shock. Carriers may also consider investing in more sensors within packaging to monitor temperature or ensure the package hasn’t been tampered with.
Stocking up on spare parts
While they may not be directly life-saving, the invention of patient wearables is perhaps one of the most important developments in the evolution of personalized medicine. Rather than requiring a patient to come in for continual monitoring, doctors can keep track of vital health information remotely and only call a patient in for an emergency. The patient gains independence, while the doctor can craft more customized treatment plans for the patient’s specific ailment. This approach is so popular, in fact, that a 2023 study from research firm Berg Insight found 77 million patients worldwide were participating in some form of remote healthcare monitoring.
But all technology ages, and sometimes a device is defective, so one key for logistics professionals will be ensuring both finished devices and spare parts are readily available for healthcare facilities. The minute a device malfunctions, its user loses the independence afforded by remote monitoring. To ensure the monitoring gap is short lived, manufacturers and/or their third-party logistics providers need to keep track of demand to ensure inventory levels of spare parts are concentrated in regions likely to need them most. That way, if it’s determined the device needs a new wire or sensor, the defective part can be swapped out quickly.
Two industries, prepared for change
Personalized medicine will forever change the way doctors look at care, targeting illnesses with treatments specifically designed for a patient’s unique case, rather than a mass-produced drug. But with personalization comes complexity, and logistics partners have a key role to play in making these treatments viable for patients globally.
In the coming months and years, healthcare supply chains will need to re-examine all processes related to moving medicines to ensure they can meet rigorous new standards. With data tracking, demand planning and diligent third-party logistics management, logistics professionals can put all the pieces in place to meet this game-changing moment in patient care.
Editor’s Note: Tim McClatchy is the vice president of life sciences at Kenco, one of North America’s leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers. Tim brings 20 years of experience in supply chain and logistics with a focus on the Life Science industry. With his knowledge of industry and leadership skills, he led a global team to be awarded Supplier of the Year two years consecutively with a medical device company.