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
-
Study on digital tool for pharmacists in aged care
In March 2022, the Australia government announced $350 million of funding over 4 years to employ on-site pharmacists in residential aged care, starting July 2023. In April 2023, the government made changes to the proposed on-site pharmacists, where the new program will now be delivered by and through community pharmacies. Regardless of how the model will be implemented, the goal remains the same – to improve quality use of medicines and medicines safety for aged care residents.
-
Clinical trial site in primary care setting open for novel therapies in psychiatry
Over the past decade, Paratus has been involved in over 200 clinical trials across 4 clinical site locations. Now a fifth site, the newly opened Melbourne site will cater to both primary care and psychiatry, specifically designed for psychedelic studies.
The new Melbourne site will be a focused on primary care studies specifically expanding access to psychiatric research, a growing area of unmet need. Australian Health Journal met with 3 recent hires brought in to support clinical trials across the organisation and in psychiatry in Melbourne.
-
A New Era in Primary Health Care Nursing
Coinciding with this year’s International Nurses Day, this week’s Federal Budget has had some significant outcomes for the primary health care, nursing workforce.
The Federal Budget delivered on 9th May 2023, APNA believes will strengthen Australia’s primary health care (PHC) system by addressing growing nursing shortages, seeing more nurses hired where they are needed, and better utilising the largest workforce in PHC of nearly 100,000 nurses to their full potential to reduce the pressure on the health system.
