UPS to Use Sensors That Can Track Medical Packages at All Times

Company sees opportunity for growth in the area of precision logistics for sensitive health-care supplies

United Parcel Service Inc. early next year plans to launch a service for health-care customers that uses sensors and data analytics to track medical packages’ exact location in near-real time.

The service, UPS Premier, will prioritize the handling of shipments such as personalized medicines, DNA and gene therapies, investigative drugs, laboratory specimens and implantable medical devices. The goal is to ensure that packages arrive at exactly the right time and place, despite factors such as bad weather.

“Having better visibility about where shipments are [means] when unexpected things happen, we’ll be in a better position to react,” said Juan Perez, the company’s chief information and engineering officer.

UPS sees opportunity for growth in the area of so-called precision logistics, or the act of getting critical drugs and health-care devices to their destinations at the right time with a high level of consistency, Mr. Perez said.

Sensors on the packages will let UPS staff know where they are at any given time. Currently, UPS employees know where a high-priority package is at a few points throughout the delivery cycle based on visual cues that are placed on packages.

The new sensors interact with electronic readers in sorting and distribution operations, using technologies including Bluetooth, cellular and Wi-Fi. UPS employees can use that information to prioritize deliveries and change them as necessary, Mr. Perez said. For example, if there is a risk of a weather-related delay, the package can be quickly identified and rerouted to make sure it still gets to patients on time, he said.

The new service is the latest example of how technology is being used to improve the complex health-care supply chain, which often involves packages that are temperature-sensitive and can expire quickly. As many as 10 entities handle a drug before it gets to a patient, including manufacturers, pharmacies and wholesale distributors, experts say.

FedEx Corp. has a health-care focused logistics service called SenseAware that customers can use to monitor location of shipments, as well as precise temperature, light exposure and barometric pressure. The system gives customers updates in near-real-time.

By Sara Castellanos | The Wall Street Journal

Image Credit: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

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About Peter Coffaro 477 Articles
A growth-driven and strategic executive, Peter Coffaro commands more than 25 years of progressive management success within the medical device industry. Recognized by the World Journal of Orthopedics, Exponential Healthtech, and MedReps.com as one of the top medical sales influencers in the industry; he has 10 years of combined sales management experience and has held positions as a Director, General Manager, Distributor, and Vice President. Peter has worked for some of the top orthopedic companies in the world - Zimmer, DePuy, and Stryker. He is also the founder of OrthoFeed: a popular blog that covers digital orthopedic news and emerging medical technologies. Peter is a three-time Hall of Fame award winner at Johnson and Johnson and has an extensive background in organizational development, business development, sales management, digital marketing, and professional education. Peter holds a B.S. degree in Biology and Chemistry from Northern Illinois University.

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