Healthcare - A Challenge and an Opportunity for Logistics Providers

LONDON, April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Increasing government regulations and requirements, the pharmaceutical patent cliff, industry consolidation, counterfeits and contaminants and expansion into emerging markets are among the many challenges facing the healthcare industry. However, with these challenges come opportunities and not just for the healthcare manufacturer but also for the logistics provider.

Ti's latest report, 2014 Global Healthcare Logistics, explores these challenges and opportunities by focusing on the clinical trial, medical device and pharmaceutical markets. For example, while many pharmaceutical blockbuster patents continue to expire, this is giving rise to generics as well as new pharmaceuticals that are temperature-sensitive. This change in pharmaceutical mix is resulting in changes in warehousing as well as transportation - A shift from air to ocean transport for many generics and a transportation and warehousing solution that requires the monitoring of temperatures and humidity for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

In addition, emerging markets are making up a larger percentage of healthcare manufacturers' revenues. This has resulted in an even longer and complicated supply chain for many of these companies. As such, the need for IT systems to manage this extended supply chain as well as logistics know-how is needed in these developing markets.

For logistics providers, opportunities in the healthcare industry are plentiful. Estimated at €57.9bn, the 2013 pharmaceutical logistics market grew 11.1% from 2012. This growth was due to several factors including the rise in temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and expansion into emerging markets. In fact, it was the emerging markets that showed the greatest year-over-year growth with Asia-Pacific (excluding China and Japan) leading the way growing 18.5%, Brazil growing 16.1% and China with 14.3%.

Meanwhile, the medical device logistics market, estimated at almost €20bn, also experienced good growth at 14.4% from 2012. As with pharmaceuticals, medical device manufacturers are also eyeing emerging markets and are facing increasing government regulations.

Even though the opportunities are great, logistics providers must still prove their value by successfully demonstrating their knowledge of this industry as well as provide the needed services that will benefit healthcare companies in emerging markets as well as mature markets such as Europe and the US.

About the 2014 Global Healthcare Logistics Report 

Ti's latest report, Global Healthcare Logistics 2014, contains an analytical overview of the healthcare logistics industry including the cold chain, pharmaceutical, medical device and clinical trials segments. Within each segment analysis is also an examination of major regions - Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, South America and North America and Europe. The report concludes with profiles of logistics providers.

About Transport Intelligence 

Transport Intelligence (Ti) is one of the world's leading providers of expert research and analysis dedicated to the global logistics industry. Utilising the expertise of professionals with many years experience in the mail, express and logistics industry, Ti has developed a range of market leading web-based products, reports, profiles and services used by all the world's leading logistics suppliers, consultancies and banks as well as many users of logistics services.

http://www.transportintelligence.com

Contact Details 

Leon Morris, Business Development Manager: lmorris@transportintelligence.com or call +44(0)7903-548-579, +44 (0)7903-548-579