5 Technologies Redefining the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Right Now

Technology continues to evolve in ways that profoundly affect our lives: from shopping and communicating, to how we seek information and entertainment. One early adopter of advanced technology in the healthcare sector. In this article, we will explore some key technologies that have influenced the pharmaceutical supply chain.

How Technology Assists In Healthcare

Technology has been an effective tool in the healthcare industry in several ways. Treatment information is far more accessible, leading to better patient treatment plans. Patient care has improved in ways that were once difficult to execute. An example of this is the speed with which doctors can update medical records. Another advantage to technology in healthcare comes from greater ease of access to information on diseases and medical conditions. This leading to better treatment plans and improved patient outcomes. Technology has also improved the processes for testing and manufacturing medicines. And, finally, technological advances in healthcare have resulted in the innovation of medical devices to assist patients and doctors in methods of recording, tracking, and monitoring conditions or collecting data to assist with treatment plans. However new technologies are used, the goal of these innovations is to improve treatment and increase patient recovery.

Technology is Redefining the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

As stated, technology has made an impact on healthcare. Although most of us are not fully aware of how deeply technological change has altered our medical care, it is safe to say that each of us has been touched by it in multiple ways. Technology has driven many care improvements, and we are all reaping the benefits of that. Here is a look at five technologies making a difference in the healthcare industry:

Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)

Software that is used as a medical product (SaMD) is best defined as medical apps that diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent diseases and other conditions. The key difference here is that SaMD does not require hardware; the devices standalone in their function. This advanced technology brings many advantages, including improved monitoring and alerting systems to track pre-existing conditions, easily accessible personalized plans for the management of multiple conditions, and better data collection to assist in creating a personalized care plan. SaMD also provides a far better means to determine decisions related to the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of those conditions.

Augmented Reality (AR)

This technology will change how surgeries are performed and improve medical outcomes from those surgeries. Operating rooms currently have equipment with separate screens that must be monitored to track progress and drive decisions during procedures. With AR goggles or glasses, a surgeon can view both the patient and their hands during a procedure without having to look away at a computer screen. Vital sign data and any other pertinent information needed by the surgeon during an operation can be be displayed within the goggles or glasses. This may shorten some operating times and will most certainly streamline the procedures being performed.

Environmental Monitoring

Sensitive assets such as vaccines, blood, and organs require monitored storage and transportation to maintain specific temperature ranges to prevent loss. One tool that has become very effective for environmental monitoring is the data logger. This small device has sensors that sample and records various environmental conditions. In the pharmaceutical supply chain, temperature and humidity are the most common factors measured. Sensitive assets can be rendered useless if they spend any amount of time in conditions that are not optimal to their survival. This incurs a loss of not just inventory, but time and money. Data loggers can monitor conditions and send alerts when conditions threaten the integrity of the sensitive assets in storage or transport.

Big Data

This technology has unlocked the ability to gain amazing insights that were never before possible. In simple terms, big data is a large set of complex data that can be structured or unstructured. The amount of data can be used to reveal deep insights that effectively assist in solving business problems that would otherwise be impossible to solve. When big data is used in the healthcare industry, it can typically find patterns and solutions not readily visible. The use of big data in medical care applications has improved clinical outcomes, product development, preventative care, predictive diagnosis, office productivity, and revenue for all aspects of the healthcare industry. Big data has completely changed the playing field.

Blockchain Electronic Health Records (EHR)

If the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word blockchain is a cryptocurrency, that’s not surprising. The cryptocurrency industry made blockchain technology most effective. When applied to the healthcare industry, blockchain provides unparalleled security and widespread accessibility that has never before existed. With blockchain technology, electronic health records can be handled in a very different way. Not only is information easier to share with others connected to the blockchain, but it is also a faster and safer process. However, blockchain technology is still in its infancy in the healthcare industry simply because of the amount of patient data that needs to be stored. The many benefits of this technology make it likely to be adopted by all medical professionals in the future.

Final Thoughts

Technology has changed much of how we do tasks. Continual technological changes mean a regular evolution is taking place as tasks we used to do manually become easier and faster to accomplish. One industry that saw the potential benefits of technology early on was healthcare. From streamlining how medical offices access, store and share data to technology that improves the collection of medical data, and everything in-between, the healthcare industry continues to be a technological leader. With new tools that use technology to function, assist surgeons, monitor sensitive assets, find better solutions through data, and adding more security to sensitive information, technology has made healthcare more accountable by adding elements of integrity that did not previously exist.