SmartSense by Digi Advocates for Reducing Healthcare Waste Through Minimizing Reshipments

What's Happening?

SmartSense by Digi, led by President Guy Yehiav, is emphasizing the importance of minimizing reshipments to clinics as a strategy to reduce healthcare waste in the U.S. The healthcare system in the U.S. is noted for its high expenditure, with waste costs estimated between $760 billion to $935 billion annually. A significant portion of this waste is attributed to the reshipment of medications, which not only incurs financial costs but also impacts patient care and environmental sustainability. Clinics, especially those operating with lean inventory models like urgent care and specialty infusion centers, face challenges when shipments are delayed or compromised. Such disruptions can lead to rescheduling of patient treatments and increased waste due to expired or unusable medications.

Why It's Important?

The reduction of healthcare waste is crucial for both economic and environmental reasons. Financially, minimizing waste can lead to significant cost savings in a sector that already consumes a large portion of national expenditure. Environmentally, reducing waste helps in lowering the demand for hazardous waste disposal and decreases the resource depletion associated with producing replacement medications. For patients, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of medications is vital for maintaining treatment schedules and outcomes, particularly for life-saving drugs. The initiative by SmartSense by Digi highlights the need for improved logistics and supply chain management in healthcare to enhance efficiency and patient care.

What's Next?

Healthcare providers and logistics partners are encouraged to review and improve their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure better tracking and handling of shipments. This includes evaluating current tracking capabilities, decision-making processes for medication safety, and mechanisms for alerting stakeholders about shipment deviations. By enhancing these processes, clinics can better manage inventory and reduce the need for reshipments, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and reliable healthcare supply chain.