The first quarter (Q1) of 2021 was productive and demanding for the Partnership for Supply Chain Management (PFSCM).
Across all clients and projects, PFSCM delivered 464 shipments of health products valued at more than $102 million to 63 developing countries.
In Q1, PFSCM became a member of Quality Medicines for All (QUAMED), we embarked on a partnership with insurtech Parsyl, and we continued to refine our cold chain strategy to better deliver medical devices used in the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV, TB and malaria; and to help intensify the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic through the delivery of diagnostics and vaccines.
Further, we turned COVID-19 related challenges into opportunities:
For our vendor prequalification program we adopted remote auditing which has proven to be effective and sustainable.
We tightened our collaboration with our partners to overcome logistics challenges. See Delivering lifesaving diagnostics to Mongolia below.
The influx of regulatory changes pertinent to COVID-19 medical products has driven us to create a knowledge management library to better track and compare regulatory changes.
Meanwhile, in Q1 we also reflect on the digital transformationthat PFSCM has undergone in the last two years. Through implementation of a new supply chain Control Tower we are collaborating smarter and faster with stakeholders to deliver real value to our clients through cost and time savings.
PFSCM and a 3PL partner recently collaborated to deliver a particularly challenging shipment of mixed temperature goods to Mongolia via charter from the Netherlands. Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, special permission had to be obtained to land the charter.
PFSCM recently invested in a Control Tower, and underwent a digital transformation to improve supply chain visibility, and streamline collaboration among stakeholders.
PFSCM automated many of its key processes for faster, and smarter customer service.
PFSCM partnered with Parsyl to deploy data loggers in all our cold chain and temperature controlled shipments. Data captured by these devices also play a critical role in proper supply chain management.
PFSCM became an official member of QUAMED, a membership association dedicated to increasing access to quality medicines using pharmaceutical audits, training and advisory services.
Paving the way for compliant cold chain shipping beyond diagnostics
In 2019, PFSCM started refining our cold chain strategy to meet and exceed the changing needs of our clients, and to prepare for the current, and imminent increased demand for cold chain shipping that is driven by COVID-19 diagnostics and vaccine distribution.
PFSCM is adept at managing regulatory changes, and in the light of COVID-19, has recently updated our product QA policy, and adopted a new digital knowledge management tool to further strengthen our product QA activities.
Options for acquiring and accessing medicines and health supplies in the public sector
PFSCM hosted a Spanish webinar that investigated the health procurement landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Our panelists delved into some of the procurement and logistics challenges faced by the LAC region.
