HEALTHCARE SUPPLY CHAIN: The Prescription for Success T he supply chain challenges involved in getting medical prescriptions and supplies to patients and care providers quickly and pro ciently are plentiful—sometimes even daunting. Issues can range from cold chain and environmen- tal failures, to poor coordination and communication
The magic pill for today’s healthcare supply chain is composed of equal parts strategy, flexibility, and disruption mitigation—plus
between supply chain points of contact, to risks incurred when medical supplies come from foreign countries with unpredictable political climates, to manufacturing breakdowns and the inability to meet demand. As a result, the vital healthcare supply chain is under-performing in many ways. In a recent Deloitte survey of supply chain administrators, nurses, physicians, and service-line leaders, 24% of respondents “saw or heard about a recalled or expired product being used on a patient,” and 57% “recalled a time when a physician didn’t have the product required for a patient’s procedure.” Why do healthcare supply chain challenges persist? The simple answer is that getting supplies to market safely and on time isn’t easy. Overcoming these logistics challenges doesn’t have a simple answer, but shippers, logistics providers, and technology companies are working together to help the critical healthcare supply chain advance and evolve.
a healthy dose of technology. BY MARY SHACKLETT
July 2024 • Inbound Logistics 145
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