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The gloves are off in the mission to provide the best medical express delivery service, says DHL’s Audrey Kelly

Working in life sciences and healthcare is a noble profession, but also a vast one. You could be involved in the manufacture of critical medical devices, conducting clinical trials for the next blockbuster drug, producing a vaccine for Covid-19, or distributing essential personal protective equipment.

When working in these professions, the focus is often on research and development. As a result, transporting the final product to where it’s needed can be an afterthought.

Vital Last Leg Deliveries

However, when that new product or sample is ready to come to market, the focus is then on the last leg. This step cannot fail. It is vital to ensure the product is delivered to its destination safely, on time, at the right temperature, undamaged, and with no compliance issues.

Companies will often prioritise making sure there are no issues, and not factor cost into their decision. They may choose a specialist courier or a white-glove service, where someone picks up the shipment and brings it to the airport in a refrigerated vehicle. Another person will hand-carry it onto the aircraft and then deliver it at the other end. While this is a great service, it’s also a very expensive one.

In Association with

Worldwide Medical Express

In DHL, we do this every day. Our Worldwide Medical Express product provides a dedicated door-to-door service in 220 countries worldwide. In Ireland, we have a team of couriers who collect shipments daily according to our global standard operating process, which ensures correct handling of shipments. All shipments are collected in a secure, customised DHL van and brought directly to one of our dedicated hubs. There, the shipment is scanned and loaded onto a DHL aircraft, where it moves overnight to its final destination.

From Ireland, we have three dedicated DHL aircraft that export daily. All Medical Express shipments are prioritised in our network to ensure the earliest possible delivery and priority handling. Everything is monitored by staff in our dedicated quality control centres to ensure on-time delivery. If dry ice top-up is required, this will be requested at one of our many hubs while the shipment is in transit. DHL also provides a range of packaging solutions if customers do not have their own.

We work with a wide range of customers in the life sciences and healthcare (LSH) industry, offering tailor-made solutions, providing full-loop service where multiple legs are involved, or straightforward import or export solutions. We understand the complexity of the LSH sector and are able to provide a best-in-class service, carrying both UN3373 and UN1845 shipments.

Dedicated Aircraft

Because we have our own dedicated DHL aircraft, we are not dependent on commercial aircrafts, subject to the resultant problems that can arise. Due to Covid-19 and the severe lack of commercial aircraft available, there is more risk of issues arising than ever before.

At DHL, all shipments remain within our network, meaning there is no breach of the chain of custody. And because we do this every day, you don’t have to pay a white-glove service price for the privilege! Companies who have switched to DHL have seen improved transit times and a significant reduction in damage rates, while continuing to experience an excellent service.

We understand that in the life sciences and healthcare industry, logistics is not always the priority, but we also understand the pressures of cutting costs while ensuring high quality.

If you are interested in speaking to our LSH experts to see how DHL can help your business and its supply chain, contact Richard Pierce at Richard.Pierce@dhl.com or 086 0318638.

Audrey Kelly is Head of Key Accounts with DHL Express