Medical Products Logistics and Product Supply Chain
The health sector has an important share in the total economy with the increasing demand for prescription drugs. The drug emerges at the end of a long and costly process. In order to meet the changing needs of the world, companies provide raw material supply to customers, service and logistics services in order to provide full satisfaction. With this method, the situation develops from individual activities of the company to network activities. The correct management of the process depends on the company's expertise and knowledge in this business. Reasons that complicate the logistics of medical products and the product supply chain:
Increase in the number of patients,
The industry does not allow mistakes,
Sectoral and legal obligations,
Importance of patient health and safety,
The costs are very high,
Price competition between companies,
Insurance transactions are difficult,
The necessity to keep up with technological changes can be listed as.
Some methods are developed for the logistics of medical products. The most usable among them is the lean supply chain. With this system, which eliminates unnecessary activities, all processes work interconnected, high usage rate, trouble-free, fast delivery and reduction of logistics costs are aimed.
How Should the Medical Product Supply Chain Be?
Making the supply chain an efficient system, which directly affects the medical product logistics sector, is very important in this sector where human health is a priority. An effective supply chain network; product life cycle, The demand for the product must be noticeable, at the level of diversity, stock, recyclability and availability. Fenomens Logistics aims an efficient and continuous supply process in order to ensure customer satisfaction and reduce costs. While doing this;
The procurement process is planned rationally.
All time-consuming processes are eliminated.
Visible and transparent management.
Precautions taken against uncertain situations.
To minimize production costs.
To spend the process efficiently.
Communication environment that is open to innovations and provides accurate information flow.
Quality product assurance.
To believe in the power of cooperation alongside competition.
It cares to ensure the continuity of the supply process.
Health sector, It is a sector that needs to be treated more sensitively than other sectors and does not accept any margin of error. When the products are not delivered in the desired time and quantity, patients are in a difficult situation.
What is the Scope of Medical Products Logistics?
Medical products logistics consists of drugs, medical products and devices. The products supplied are:
Medicine,
Medical and surgical apparatus and instruments,
Prostheses,
X-ray equipment,
Electrotherapy equipment,
Syringes,
Surgery blades,
Blood and sampling kits,
Laboratory products,
Wound care products,
Stents.
These products that are prohibited for sale and expired are excluded from the scope of supply. Because there is a tight link between patient safety and the supply process. Medical products logistics and product supply chain; It covers all processes from production to delivery of products to patients.
Regulation on Medical Products Logistics
Medical products logistics does not accept a margin of error. Because the medical products industry, activities such as production, distribution, import/export, promotion, licensing are kept under strict control by the regulators. In our country, the only institution that gives licenses and sales permits for drugs is the Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacy. Due to the high research and development costs, "data protection" and "patent protection" are considered within the scope of intellectual property rights. In our country, the patent law was accepted in 1999. At the international level, Thanks to “Good Pharmaceutical Practices” and “Good Distribution Practices”, the community's drug safety and access are protected.
How Should the Information System for Medical Products Be?
First implemented in Norway and The classification system, also recommended by the World Health Organization, divides products into five levels according to their chemical, pharmacological and therapeutic properties. The barcode system displays information such as the stock code, serial number and personnel code of the products. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has a unique and automatic identification feature of products. RFID tags can be coded to make information appear, such as the Electronic Product Code (EPC), to receive, store and send information about products. This information is automatically saved and can be changed. Each country adjusts this according to their own working conditions. These systems, which are under the control of the logistics of medical products, are of great importance.
In the light of these applications, Fenomens Logistics performs transportation with speed, reliability, flexibility and low costs in order to carry out an effective transportation activity. It creates environments that comply with certain standards, in a healthy environment, that is, suitable for the desired temperature.