Managing the fulfillment process while focusing on your company’s quarterly goals is difficult enough — let alone when you’re dealing with an industry as sensitive as medical equipment logistics. In the midst of a constantly evolving industry fraught with supply chain disruptions, operating in the medical device space can start to feel confusing, challenging, and overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to help.
After reading this blog, you’ll know what certifications and qualifications are necessary to ship medical equipment, what to look for in an FDA-registered third-party logistics provider (3PL), and how to best approach the unique challenges that accompany logistics in this highly-regulated industry.
The Importance of Properly Storing Medical Equipment
No matter if you’re in the business of large imaging systems or small sensitive devices and supplies, medical equipment logistics — including storage and handling — requires special expertise. This includes understanding how to prepare many different types of medical assets for transport and storage, including:
- MRI machines
- CT scanners
- Surgical devices
- Lasers
- Computers and peripherals
- Lab equipment
- X-ray machines
- Hospital beds, treatment tables, and other furniture
- Medication
- Miscellaneous medical supplies
The above-listed items may require temperature-controlled settings for storage, and they may be fragile or contain components like gauges, lenses, or mirrors.
It’s crucial to know the ins and outs of medical equipment logistics to ensure you’re abiding by best practices and most up-to-date regulations. We cover more of this in the “Finding a 3PL for Medical Equipment Shipping” section below.
The Importance of Properly Shipping Medical Equipment
Environment is always a key factor when dealing with medical equipment. From moisture and temperature to vibrations, it’s important you have the ability to control the moisture in your storage facility, as it can easily impact and damage medical equipment, especially electrical items.
Vibrations created by movement in transit can also damage medical device components. Because of this, it’s important your team — or the 3PL you partner with — knows how to properly ship medical device equipment. You also need to think about in-transit temperature, as extremes can damage the integrity of your products and their packaging.
7 Steps In the Medical Equipment Logistics Process to Ensure Safe Shipping
To help you better understand the importance of safe shipping, and what it entails, below are seven crucial steps that must be followed to help you ensure accurate and efficient shipping.
#1 Think and plan ahead. The more time you devote to medical equipment logistics, the better. In some cases, this can be a challenge, especially in the midst of supply chain disruptions. However, in an industry that often requires speedy shipping and delivery, it’s important you have the necessary equipment and capabilities to move inventory as quickly as possible. If this is something outside of your realm of capabilities, it’s important to find an FDA-registered 3PL that can.
#2 Address temperature or environmental concerns. Do you need to ship a piece of sensitive medical equipment to a location with high humidity? If so, you need to be able to ship the item in a way that will protect it from moisture damage. Conversely, do the medical supplies you’re shipping need to be held at a constant cool temperature? If so, you’ll need to ensure you or your 3PL partner can offer refrigerated transport.
#3 Identify any hazardous materials. If you’re shipping products that contain any materials that are considered explosive, toxic, radioactive, or labeled as otherwise dangerous, it’s important you’re adhering to the special “HAZMAT precautions” that need to be taken to ensure safe transport.
#4 Use custom packaging. Protecting valuable medical equipment requires professional kitting and packaging. Again, whether it’s you or your logistics provider, it’s unacceptable to simply put items into a crate or corrugated cardboard box surrounded by some packaging materials as though you were shipping standard retail items. It’s imperative to be strategic in your shipping preparation, including the use of custom blocking and bracing designed by packaging engineers.
#5 Disassemble items if necessary. Occasionally, protecting the sensitive or fragile internal workings of a piece of medical equipment may require you to partially or fully disassemble a product. The payoff — while time-consuming — may be a necessary step to a successful, damage-free shipment.
#6 Track your items. Medical equipment can be expensive. As a result, it’s important to entrust them to a 3PL that has the necessary tracking capabilities after shipment. Doing so will let you know when a shipment has safely arrived at its destination, or what disruptions have occurred during the shipping process if the package didn’t arrive at its final destination on time.
#7 Consider reusable packaging. Some items will be shipped regularly, so having a reusable custom crate can help maximize the protection of the asset during transport. It can also save you money.
Custom packaging can also come with hardware like link locks, hinges, and locking hasps that ensure they close securely for packaging. Reusable packaging can also come with labels and logos so the recipient can easily identify your company as the sender.
Finding a 3PL for Medical Equipment Shipping Services
Properly shipping medical equipment requires a skilled team with the necessary qualifications. Likely, you’re going to need to find an experienced 3PL that can specialize in healthcare logistics, as the process is often too much for a company to handle on its own. To help you know what to look for, below are three of the most important qualifications your logistics provider should have.
FDA-Registered
Be sure the 3PL you partner with is FDA-registered. This will ensure your provider is capable of offering the following services:
- Quarantine procedures: Certain products must be quarantined systemically in anticipation of FDA on-site observation and inspection.
- Recall technology: Having up-to-date technology can help track lot numbers, and expiration numbers, and inform you when certain items have been recalled.
- Temperature-controlled facilities: An FDA-registered 3PL will have temperature-controlled facilities that are strictly monitored and controlled according to best practices.
- Proper handling: FDA registration guidelines are detailed and numerous. An FDA-registered provider will know the ins and outs of proper handling.
- Inventory management: A healthcare logistics provider will definitely need a comprehensive warehouse management system (WMS). This will allow them to manage inventory at the case level, ensuring every case is barcoded and contains the necessary SKU information (including lot and expiration).
- Inspections: An FDA-registered facility will have an experienced team that offers both visual and manual inspection services that support compliance requirements.
Certified medical equipment fulfillment specialists don’t just help your company operate above board, they can help increase your bottom line. Studies show that delivery performance is a leading cause of overall customer satisfaction.
cGMP Compliant
CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) was created to provide systems that assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities are followed.
Adherence to the CGMP regulations is critical, and failing to do so will result in costly fines, or worse. Be sure your potential 3PL partner is cGMP compliant. A company that is cGMP compliant implies the provider’s facilities are in good condition, their equipment is properly maintained, their employees are fully trained, and their processes are reliable.
HAZMAT Certifications
You want to be sure your potential 3PL partner has a team that’s continuously trained on recent laws and regulations regarding hazardous materials. At Jay Group, our team is trained bi-annually, and each member also becomes re-certified by the Dangerous Goods Council. Our employees contain certifications for handling the following:
- 49 CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
- IATA – International Air Transport Association
- IMDG – International Maritime Dangerous Goods
- Classes 2, 3, 9 (Including Lithium Batteries)
Handling and shipping inventory that falls under the hazardous materials’ moniker introduces some inherent risks to the public, the environment, and property. With this in mind, always be sure your medical equipment logistics provider is HAZMAT certified.
Tracking Medical Equipment During the Shipping Process
The final step in shipping medical equipment and supplies is to track your shipments to ensure they’ve arrived at their destination on time and in one piece. Be sure your 3PL can offer you up-to-date tracking information so you can monitor the conditions of your freight.
At Jay Group, we have the temperature-controlled facilities and expert in-house teams needed to help you reach your market all across the country. Contact us today to see how we can help you.
