Market insights

The future of healthcare: Inside the world of medical technology logistics

The future of personalised med-tech

Imagine your pacemaker manufacturer could tell you if you were at risk of a heart attack. As technology improves, we are witnessing a revolution in personalised med-tech.

What exactly is a medical device? You may think of an x-ray machine that is the size of a room, or other items that you’d only need if you had a serious health issue or medical surgery. However, medical devices are more common than you might think. In fact, you may be wearing one now.

Many modern watches have personal well-being features that can check your heart rate, tell you how many steps you’ve taken in a day and even raise an alert if necessary. The emergence of smaller devices with greater processing power, as well as developments in wireless technology, are ushering in a new world of interconnected medical technology.

The definition of a medical device is any medical item that is put on you, or in you. Medical devices are used for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, monitoring or alleviation of disease. These devices include items from simple tongue depressors to arthroscopy scopes for surgical procedures, such as knee and hip replacements.

The pandemic made us aware of other vital medical devices such as test kits, oxygen meters, ventilators, syringes and blood collection tubes. Today, the definition is becoming blurrier with smartwatches, activity trackers and other forms of wearable technology also being classified as medical devices.

A new era

Digitalisation is changing the medical devices sector, offering numerous benefits, such as monitoring patients’ vital signs remotely. If their device registers any critical information, an alert can be raised. Because many pacemakers have smartphone remote monitoring, potential problems can be detected before the patient requires a visit to an emergency room.

With over a million pacemakers implanted globally every year, this is a growing market. Google’s impending acquisition of Fitbit, the leading manufacturer of activity trackers, illustrates the importance and growth potential of this market.

As the medical device sector becomes more diverse, the way these devices are transported and stored becomes more complicated.

For over a decade, Kuehne+Nagel has been building expertise and developing dedicated GxP facilities to offer customers a comprehensive approach that includes the full spectrum of logistics activities.

Transport itself is critical, but so is storage and warehousing. For our Healthcare team, this means providing comprehensive logistics that connects every element of the supply chain.

Holistic, end-to-end approach

As situations can change rapidly, a broad network is essential for the secure transport of medical devices. Every mode of transport must be available to cater to every customer’s requirements.

This variety of options also reduces customers' costs, as they can switch to a more affordable mode of transport for non-urgent deliveries.

When it comes to urgent deliveries, Kuehne+Nagel understands that it’s not just about reducing costs, it’s about saving lives. For this reason, stringent risk assessment is carried out to ensure the integrity and continuity of supply chains.

Warehousing is a key component of the holistic approach to medical device logistics. Dedicated and shared warehouse solutions are specifically tailored for medical technology with temperature-controlled storage, cross-docking and consolidation options.

Regulation and compliance

The medical device sector requires strict regulations to ensure devices arrive safely and can provide benefits to patients immediately. This is where industry knowledge is critical. Understanding and adhering to industry regulations isn’t optional – it’s essential. For both the safety of patients and for a manufacturer’s compliance, regulations are vital.

Kuehne+Nagel’s 230+ GxP-certified centres around the world ensure shipments are managed to the strictest of quality standards.

Kuehne+Nagel’s Healthcare experts stay up to date with the latest legal framework for each country. The two most important regulations are the EU Medical Devices (applicable in Europe) and the FDA’s IVD regulations (applicable in the US). The International Air Transport Association (IATA) CEIV pharma certificate safeguards product integrity both domestically and internationally. We are proud to offer an IATA CEIV-certified network that undergoes continuous review and audit processes.

With all this discussion of technology, it’s important to remember the human element of medical technology. Meeting the needs of patients remains the prime focus. Technology serves us by helping patients to live longer, healthier and less painful lives with their loved ones.

This is what motivates the medical device experts at Kuehne+Nagel to do their best, day in and day out, for patients across the world.