Healthcare Logistics Management

Healthcare logistics services refer to the process of getting medical devices, pharmaceuticals, lab specimens, medical supplies, and more from the manufacturer to the place where usage can occur. This may be in a hospital setting, doctor’s office, medical facility, or a retail store where consumers can purchase the items and pick up their prescriptions. 

Depending upon the specifics of the item, it can also begin by transporting raw materials to a manufacturer. Finished items can then be transported in temperature-appropriate ways to warehouses and distribution centers, where they can be inventoried, stored, and made available upon order.

Medical logistics is a system that’s set up to safely, accurately, compliantly (and, ideally, cost-effectively) move healthcare-related items along the supply chain. Examples of this includes medical supply logistics and medical equipment logistics.

Although logistics-related delays or errors in other industries can be frustrating, in the healthcare world, they can have a true life-or-death impact, as doctors, nurses, and patients await potentially life-saving or life-enhancing supplies, equipment, and more.

Medical logistics involves storing and managing inventory in temperature-controlled warehousing before transporting the sensitive products appropriately, including in ways that comply with healthcare and governmental regulation standards for optimal medical order fulfillment.

With our specialized medical supply logistics services, our expert team manages risk throughout the entire medical supply logistics and medical equipment logistics processes. Each step of the way, NXTPoint stays fully in compliance, thanks to our skillfully trained quality management professionals, and provides full transparency from the first mile to the last. This is true with domestic transportation and international transportation, whether we operate on a customer’s site or in one of our own facilities across the country.

Our Tier-1 Enterprise Warehouse Management System (WMS), Körber One, provides maximum control of the medical supplies, equipment, and more, providing real-time visibility and tracking. Additionally, NXTPoint offers numerous value-added services in our medical supply logistics and medical equipment logistics: raw materials handling, labeling, kitting, returns management, and much more.

The healthcare fulfillment process (or medical order fulfillment process) involves getting the needed products and supplies from manufacturers and other parties to hospitals and other medical facilities. The medical order fulfillment supply chain can be quite complex due to governmental and healthcare regulations, temperature and handling requirements, the just-in-time nature of the supplies and equipment, and more.

Healthcare logistics companies vary in their ability to optimally provide medical order fulfillment. Here’s what the best can provide:

• Efficient and cost-effective processes: first mile through the last mile
• Compliant processes across the entire supply chain: governmental and healthcare
• Streamlined inventory management in medical-grade facilities
• Demand forecasting and management for just-in-time deliveries
• Quality communication and collaboration across the supply chain
• Advanced technologies that allow real-time visibility
• Outstanding customer service

NXTPoint checks all of those boxes in our medical order fulfillment. To discuss your company’s needs for medical supply logistics/medical equipment logistics, please reach out for an expert consultation.

A medical logistics company is a third-party logistics company (often called 3PL) that provides services for healthcare companies across the supply chain. Also known as healthcare logistics companies, what they offer can vary in specialties provided, facilities owned and managed, their locations, range of services, and so forth.

Healthcare logistics companies also vary in their experience (we leverage more than a century of logistics-based services) and expertise: We have experts who are deeply knowledgeable about each portion of the medical supply chain.

You can read bullet points about the ways in which NXTPoint stands out among healthcare logistics companies in the answer to the FAQ, “What is the fulfillment process in healthcare?” What matters to your company, of course, is how our experts can specifically help your company with your unique requirements. To discuss specifics and have our team craft a personalized plan, please connect with us. We’ll happily discuss which of our services will dovetail and fulfill your particular requirements. Thank you!

Healthcare logistics services refer to the process of getting medical devices, pharmaceuticals, lab specimens, medical supplies, and so forth from the manufacturer to the place where usage can occur. This may be in a hospital setting, doctor’s office, or other medical facility, or a retail store where consumers can purchase the items and pick up their prescriptions.

Depending upon the specifics of the item, it can begin by transporting raw materials to a manufacturer. Finished items can then be transported in temperature-appropriate ways to warehousing, distribution centers, and so forth where they can be inventoried, stored, and made available upon order.

In hospital logistics, the products are intended specifically for hospitals rather than for broader medical use.

This is a specialized type of temperature-controlled warehouse designed for storing medical supplies, devices, and other healthcare-related items. This type of facility may be a separate facility from other types of storage or have a dedicated space within a larger facility for medical storage. The environment must be secure, clean, and organized with top-quality inventory control and management.

Many of the products being shipped along the healthcare supply chain come with temperature-sensitive requirements to maintain quality and usability. To address this, NXTPoint Logistics ensures that devices, supplies, pharmaceuticals, lab specimens, and more are maintained in an optimal environment during shipping and storage, as well as in every other logistics stage in between.

These products also often have time-sensitive requirements. Patients and medical professionals may be anticipating results from lab specimens, and they need devices, supplies, and medications to treat conditions. Thanks to our well-established, optimal routes and backup plans, healthcare companies can trust NXTPoint and our healthcare logistics services to get products where they need to go, accurately and on time. 

Appropriate labeling of items is crucial, too, and NXTPoint offers custom kitting and labeling and can conduct operations in your facilities when that is the desired situation. This can be a complex situation in which a large number of SKUs, medications, and/or lab samples must be shipped, but our experience and expertise allow us to smoothly and accurately keep the supply chain going.

Here’s one more challenge to consider: the ever-evolving healthcare regulatory environment. Our experts are fully aware of the distinctions between Class I, Class II, and Class III items in the medical industry and know exactly how to manage them within compliance. We also stay in compliance with our healthcare logistics services in other areas, including having the right permits, handling returns, and disposing of products appropriately during reverse logistics. If you have questions about how we remain in compliance or on other topics, just let us know. We’ll happily discuss them with you.

The medical products being transported in the healthcare logistics supply chain are vital for people’s health and well being. Maintaining the right climate and environment, delivering on time, and remaining within compliance play a key role in contributing to people’s healthcare experiences.

If this question had been asked before the pandemic occurred, this might not have made number one on the list, but the pandemic highlighted both significant supply chain vulnerabilities and the high level of importance of creating more resilient solutions. To mitigate disruptions, it’s vital to avoid single points of failure by diversifying options while maintaining consistency. 

Thanks to today’s advanced technology, healthcare companies can use predictive analytics and other strategies to obtain high visibility into their global supply chains. This also allows them to better forecast demand and mesh supply and demand in more optimal ways. NXTPoint Logistics’ proprietary technology provides transparent insights, which is just one reason why our healthcare logistics services are so efficient, cost-effective, and accurate. Artificial intelligence advancements will continue to drive the technological momentum of the healthcare supply chain, as will blockchain technology, automation, and autonomous vehicles.

At a high level, seek a company with the experience that gives you confidence and expertise in the specific services you need. Ensure that they have the appropriate warehousing and transportation methods for products with temperature requirements. Look at their track records for on-time, accurate deliveries that remain compliant with the ever-evolving regulatory environment associated with healthcare logistics.

The first reason is our logistics experience. You wouldn’t want to entrust your important pharmaceuticals, lab specimens, medical devices, and supplies to a company that’s learning on the job. NXTPoint leverages more than a century of experience, allowing you to proceed with confidence as we safely, effectively, and efficiently transport your medical items on time. 

We provide secure, climate-appropriate warehousing and flexible, compliant inventory management in each of our owned and operated facilities. Upon order, we transport inventory along well established, optimized routes with backup plans in case of detours, traffic jams, and other roadblocks. NXTPoint Logistics offers both domestic and international transport, from first to final mile, using either full truckload or less-than-truckload capacity. In addition, we provide value-added services to customize your experience to meet your specific requirements. 

Throughout the supply chain, we provide high levels of visibility through our advanced technologies, giving you real-time insight into your shipments’ progress and ready access to shipping documentation. Data-driven information can allow you to identify potential problems and create proactive workarounds to avoid supply chain disruptions. 

NXTPoint Logistics is a flexible, responsive collaborator and can optimize your healthcare supply chain from beginning to end. Reach out for a one-on-one consultation with one of our experts. 

The process starts with a consultation. Schedule one online or by calling (833) 835-1201. Our experts will listen carefully to your unique requirements, goals, and challenges and then design a customized plan to strengthen your entire supply chain.