As the demand for health care increases, so does the need to ship medical supplies. Health care companies need to rely on carriers to deliver their shipments, trusting that the products will arrive on time and in perfect condition. 

To meet these needs in the face of growing demand, many of the major shipping agencies are launching services designed just for medical companies. This has involved investing in various improvements to health care shipping.

Entry into the Medical Sphere by Major Shipping Companies

Major shipping companies are offering programs to help reduce costs related to medical logistics. This involves improving transport, storage, and handling of sensitive supplies. This includes constructing specially-designed warehouses. Such facilities boast additional features necessary to safely receive all types of shipments including medications, samples, and medical devices.

Companies are also making it easier to deliver products like kits to patients and their health providers. Some pick up the kits from the patients and then send them directly to labs, reducing wait times. Another solution offered by some of these services is support with international shipments. This includes ensuring that they meet requirements to cross borders.

All the big names have now entered into medical shipping to at least some extent. However, the most successful so far is FedEx with its Health Center program.

What FedEx Health Center Does for You

The FedEx Health Center program is designed for all types of medical organizations. It provides separate solutions according to whether the business works with medical devices, pharmaceuticals, or medical equipment. It also offers solutions for companies working in clinical trials, biotech, and diagnostics. All these solutions differ from regular shipping services by providing additional support for medical logistics.

Temperature Control

Unlike regular shipments, many medical supplies need to stay at the exact right temperature. Even a minor change in temperature can lower quality or ruin a product completely. To address this, the FedEx Health Center program offers Temp-Assure, a selection of temperature-control solutions.

There’s the cold shipping package, an inexpensive, lighter-weight alternative to dry ice and gel packs. Then, for even colder temperatures, you have the deep frozen shipping solution, ideal for things like clinical samples and biomaterials. Finally, to keep pharmaceuticals insulated, FedEx offers a thermal blanket solution.

Visibility

The advanced visibility measures in place enable you to keep track of the state of your shipment at all times. Options include:

• Priority Alert: for monitoring and personalizing the notifications you receive from a service analyst.
• TranSmart: for when your shipment needs to comply with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act. This provides you with proof-of-delivery signatures.
• SenseAware: for web-based tracking using a multi-sensor device. You can also ask a representative from FedEx to monitor the device for you.
• Direct-to-Pharmacy: to send products straight to the pharmacy, eliminating stops.
• Custom Critical: for when you need extra security. This can range from customization of the standard service to use of a private vehicle.

Compliance

One of the greatest challenges in medical logistics is meeting various compliance regulations, especially if you are shipping internationally. FedEx Health Center offers a variety of solutions to ensure that you are always compliant. These services are available for shipments to numerous countries and territories across the globe.

To take the effort out of customs preparation, hand the task over to a FedEx advisory team. As well as classifying products, the team can prepare your company for audits and assist in resolving any issues with audits. Other solutions FedEx offers are trade networks support with customs clearance and post-entry services. Finally, whenever you are unsure about requirements, you can contact the FedEx regulatory consulting group to speak with an consultant.

What FedEx Health Center Does Not Do for You

FedEx Health Center consists of a wide variety of useful services. The main problem is that shipping insurance is overpriced for what it provides. A better alternative is to use a third party for your insurance needs. There are options on the market that provide great coverage for a fraction of the price and may have added benefits.

For instance, the service from Cabrella comes with all these advantages (to name just a few):

• Few restrictions on international deliveries.
• Customized solutions to meet your needs.
• Coverage for almost all levels of delivery service.
• Higher coverage limits to protect your most valuable medical supplies.
• A simple process to review and file claims for deliveries. If you do file a claim, you’ll receive a settlement much faster than with FedEx.

Even with all the measures in place offered through FedEx Health Center, problems can arise. For this reason, you need comprehensive insurance. You could rely on FedEx to provide your insurance, but you’ll end up paying a high price for just the basics. A better option is to seek a third-party company like Cabrella, which specializes in insurance for the needs of health care businesses.

Using Cabrella can save you up to 90% on insurance costs as opposed to other carriers. See your estimated savings by clicking the button below!