Smarter Operations Start with Innovation
Across the industry, investments in automation, data-driven forecasting and smarter facility design are helping to strengthen supply chain performance. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly possible to anticipate demand, respond quickly to disruptions and enable therapies to travel through the system safely and efficiently.
Furthermore, advanced and specialty therapies are demanding more precision and agility than ever before. Meeting those needs requires rethinking how products move through the system, from manufacturing to the point of delivery.
“These drugs are becoming more targeted, so as a provider, you may only have a few patients on a specific therapy. That makes it more complex to understand the side effects and how to manage those patients,” said Dr. Busby. “We’re investing a lot into what I call ‘closing the loop’ — helping providers order the right test, get the results back and track those results — so the right drug can be ordered quickly and accurately.”
These advances are helping us create a more agile, predictive supply chain that can adapt as quickly as medicine itself. At McKesson, we leverage our scale with global suppliers, apply sophisticated modeling to forecast supply and demand, and integrate new distribution strategies for specialty products.
Collaboration Drives Resilience
As treatments become more specialized, seamless coordination among manufacturers, distributors, providers and policymakers has never been more important.
By sharing data, aligning forecasts and maintaining open lines of communication, we can help reduce waste, minimize shortages and help enable therapies to continue to flow to the patients who rely on them. A cross-functional, end-to-end approach creates an environment where patients can benefit from innovation regardless of their geographical location.
“We’re seeing the evolution of the drugs that are coming to market — either blockbusters or much more personalized treatments,” said McAsey. “Sitting in the middle as the distributor, you have to create solutions for both. We’re making significant investments in technology and infrastructure, but most importantly in partnerships and collaboration.”
Close collaboration helps reduce stress on the system and provides essential safeguards. When one link in the chain experiences disruption, the entire network can keep moving forward.
Building Trust and Transparency
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