CASE STUDY: EVOLUTION IN THE MEDICAL DEVICE SUPPLY CHAIN Cardinal Health and DHL discuss trust and partnership in logistics and back office
With
Steve Thompsett, CEO
DHL Supply Chain Australia and New Zealand
Michael Gardner,
(Former) VP Life Sciences & Healthcare
DHL Supply Chain Australia
Shane McCormack,
Senior Manager Supply Chain
Cardinal Health
Australian Health Journal segment
Filmed in Sydney | April 2025
Supply chain and logistics involve managing products globally, from manufacturing to distribution. This includes international shipping via air and sea, storing products in temperature-controlled warehouses, and delivering them to pharmacies, medical wholesalers, and hospitals within the domestic market.
Michael Gardner, (Former) VP Life Sciences & Healthcare, DHL Supply Chain Australia spoke to Australian Health Journal about the medical device industry being particularly complex; onboarding a new customer at DHL supply chain demands thorough preparation. This process involves understanding the customer’s operations and the lifecycle of their products, from their arrival at the warehouse to their use in patient care. Insight into the customer’s expectations is crucial to ensure seamless operations.
For Cardinal Health, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical products, the process begins when products arrive in Australia and are cleared by customs before being stored at their Sydney warehouse. From here, they fulfil orders for various clients, including hospitals and wholesalers, supported by DHL’s logistics services.
In this case study, Australian Health Journal was given the opportunity to talk to both the logistics provider and the end medical technology client in what is an evolving medical device supply chain.
Challenges in Australia include a limited manufacturing workforce and the distances to raw material sources, with all imported products being finished goods. Compliance with safety and regulatory standards is essential. In addition to logistics, DHL provides value-added services like equipment repairs and a 4PL service, which includes customer service support and accounts receivable, enhancing efficiency for Cardinal Health.
Credit: MedTech24 Conference, hosted by Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) in Sydney, October 2024.
Source: Written by AUDIENCED, with use of generative AI on transcript
-
Strategic research investments for health and prosperity
The CEO of Research Australia, Nadia Levin spoke with Australian Health Journal about the following:
– Current medical research and development landscape in Australia
– Investment required to support the Health and Medical Research and Innovation pipeline
– The National Medical Products Industry Plan and its impact on the Australian economy
– The Health and Medical Research WorkforceIn the lead up to the Australian Federal Budget in May 2023, Australian Health Journal reached out to peak health industry bodies to hear about their priorities, either noted in pre-budget submissions lodged with Federal Government in January 2023 or in recent forums such as the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.
-
Values in Workplace Culture
Professor Sabe Sabesan, is the Clinical Dean of the Townsville Regional Medical Training network incorporating the Townsville Hospital and Health Services and the Townsville Clinical School of the James Cook University and the director of the department of Medical oncology at the Townsville Cancer Centre, Townsville Hospital.
The Professor recently wrote, “Workforce wellness and engagement have become buzzwords in healthcare settings since there is an intimate relationship between staff wellbeing and performance of the healthcare system. Wellness initiatives such as wellness champions and wellness committees have been set up in response to emerging workforce mental health issues. These are largely reactive rather than being proactive in addressing or preventing the root cause of mental health issues.”
-
App helps Chronic Sleep Deprivation
Earlier this year, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health researchers developed SleepSync, the world’s first app that personalises sleep-wake cycles for shift workers to improve their sleep and overall mood.
The research, led by Dr Jade Murray, was published in the journal, Digital Health. Australian Health Journal met with Dr Murray to hear how the application has evolved and been used in personalisation of sleep habits for health care shift workforce.
