As with cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, the logistics of "medical devices" is governed by the Pharmaceutical Equipment Act, which governs the process from manufacturing to sale and distribution in the market.
There are many cases of outsourcing medical device logistics to 3PL providers, but how does this differ from the logistics of other commercial products?
In this article, we present the characteristics of medical device logistics, as well as an explanation of 3PL terminology.
What is 3PL?
The term 3PL (3rd Party Logistics) can be interpreted in different ways.
This is "the outsourcing of logistics operations to a third-party logistics provider, separate from the shipper's existing logistics provider, with the common goal of supply chain management for the shipper, such as improving logistics efficiency and reducing logistics costs, by providing logistics consulting and logistics information systems."
Precise inventory and traceability management
Unlike general products, medical devices require management of lot numbers, serial numbers and expiration dates.
Another characteristic of medical devices and other business categories (e.g. manufacturing/selling) is that they must be managed based on their status (before/after shipping decision) in inventory.
Additionally, the Pharmaceutical Equipment Act requires traceability management for the safety and risk management of medical devices. Manufacturers and distributors of medical devices are required to manage the traceability of the lot or series of a product that has been determined to be on the market, as well as the date and location of its shipment.Temperature control
Some medical devices require temperature monitoring.
The temperature zone setting differs for each medical device, so products should be stored in a location where they can be controlled within that temperature zone.
When looking for a logistics warehouse, it is important to check the temperature controlled area for the product in question and confirm how the temperature is controlled in the logistics warehouse.
