INSIDE THE LIFEBLOOD OF HEALTHCARE
follow this lead with the intention of getting closer to customers while also lowering costs . Patients in Germany , for example , will soon be able to order prescriptions drugs from the most popular online retailer , in partnership with the country ’ s largest retail pharmacy .”
Allison believes that , although still high regulated , market pressures will drive the industry further in the direction of providing care in the home , e-commerce being one solution to address this need . Mobile apps are among other technology solutions that will also enable this transition .
The second big trend is the increasing segmentation of product types to the point at which e-commerce becomes a viable option .
Allison continues : “ Currently , many pharmaceutical manufacturers have portfolios containing both high-end drugs and unregulated over-the-counter products . As the consumer end of this range expands , each organisation becomes ripe for ecommerce innovation , and take-up is likely to happen at a very fast pace .”
This marks a shift in the way businesses approach supply chain issues Allison observes that companies were , up until a year or so ago , justifying the status-quo based purely on the cost of transport and warehousing . Today , the picture looks markedly different .
Allison concludes : “ Life sciences and healthcare companies are instead securing a holistic perspective . While working to cut the cost of air , ocean , road and rail freight and the cost of storage and distribution , companies are now also questioning the cost of inefficient inventory , obsolescence , lost sales , and decreasing customer loyalty . The answers they need are in part , provided by digitising the supply chain , paired with increasing velocity in the adoption of supply chain techniques .”
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