May 9th | 2 min read
Author: Richard Phillipe
Richard, a seasoned business leader with a strong background in healthcare supply and services, brings over three decades of experience, including a notable tenure as the Founder, President, and CEO of Logi-D. Renowned for developing cutting-edge software solutions in the healthcare industry, Richard excels in strategic thinking and business growth.
Pharmaceutical Supply Chains: A Call to Supply Chain Executives in Healthcare
In recent decades, Integrated Delivery Networks and Hospital Systems have undergone remarkable supply chain transformations, transitioning from decentralized manual processes to centralized systems with varying degrees of automation. Some have even established centralized warehouses and consolidated distribution centers. However, it’s worth noting that the pharmaceutical supply chain, which accounts for substantial hospital expenditures, falls behind in embracing these advancements.
Embracing Automation Technology:
Overtime, budgetary constraints and regulatory influences have propelled the adoption of automation technology within the pharmacy supply chain, outpacing other hospital sectors like medical supplies. An important number of technology solutions such as dispensing cabinets, unidose packagers, vertical carousels, and centralized dispensing robots, to name only a few, have been deployed.
The Data Integration Challenge:
However, a significant challenge arises from the lack of data integration among these technologies. Solution providers often offer proprietary point solutions, making it challenging to achieve global visibility of inventory across diverse technology platforms.
A Glimpse into Inefficiencies:
In some healthcare organizations, I’ve even witnessed archaic paper-based processes. Technicians or pharmacists manually gathering data daily from various platforms and entering it manually on drug wholesalers’ web portals. This manual consolidation limits the overall impact of automation in the hospital pharmacy supply chain.
The Way Forward: Integrated Solutions:
To combat these challenges and enhance efficiency, healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to integrated pharmacy supply chain solutions. When it comes to planning and adopting these solutions, partnering with specialized firms, like LIDD, becomes crucial. For a closer look at what this partnership entails, here are some concrete examples of the benefits delivered with LIDD’s healthcare-focused supply chain consulting:
- Vendor agnostic interoperability: Providing centralized data visibility and flow between point automation technology solutions, centralized material management applications and the ERP.
- Inventory Management: Streamlining inventory, reducing waste, and optimizing turnover to minimize carrying costs and mitigate the risk of expired products.
- Pharmacy Workflow Enhancement: Supporting complex pharmaceutical organizational models, whether centralized, decentralized, or hybrid.
- Liability Risk Mitigation: Implementing various workflow controls, including barcode scanning and verification, to enhance patient safety.
- Internal Returns Optimization: Boosting efficiency in the returns process.
- Diversion Risk Reduction: Minimizing the risk of drug diversion.
- Clinical Engagement Enhancement: Freeing up pharmacists from logistical duties to focus on clinical activities and enhance patient outcomes.
Time for Action:
Integrated pharmacy supply chain solutions open new doors for healthcare organizations. They offer opportunities for growth, revenue generation, and a brighter future.
In other words, the pharmacy supply chain as clearly become the centralized hospital supply chain organizations next frontier
The hospital sector continues to grapple with internal and external challenges, putting a strain on its supply chain. The time has come for the healthcare industry to confront these challenges head-on and revolutionize pharmaceutical supply chain management for a more efficient and cost-effective future.
By adopting integrated solutions and embracing best practices, healthcare organizations can optimize their operations, reduce costs, elevate patient care, and explore innovative avenues for revenue generation.
Onomatic is designed for vendor-agnostic interoperability. We bring your engineered material flows from design to reality. Onomatic technology paired with LIDD’s supply chain expertise has helped healthcare organization streamline their operations.
Our comprehensive Warehouse Execution Systems (WES), Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), and Material Flow Systems (MFS) features enable material flows to which warehouse automation equipment can be easily configured. By understanding workflow dependencies and equipment availability, capacity, and speed, Onomatic orchestrates the optimal execution of your intralogistics tasks, from receiving to shipping.
Get in touch with us today to learn more.