DHL Exel Supply Chain recently launched DHL Pharmacy Supply, the direct-to-pharmacy distribution business for the pharmaceutical industry, in Australia.
Supported by a five-year contract, DHL Pharmacy Supply will offer a 24-hour pharmaceutical distribution service to community pharmacies across Australia. DHL Pharmacy Supply is contracted to deliver government-subsidised Prescription Benefit Scheme (PBS) medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers to approximately 5,000 pharmacies throughout metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Australia.
DHL Exel Supply Chain will deliver the direct-to-pharmacy service by leveraging its existing pre-wholesale network capability and its storage and material handling systems in its new 20,000 m2 pharmaceutical distribution facility at Greystanes, Sydney. The project will use approximately 7,150 m2 for order picking from seven distribution facilities around the country.
The regional distribution centres will share existing site management, transport and security infrastructure, amenities and office areas. A new metro carton delivery fleet will be established in each of the larger states combining the current carton delivery services and pharmacy direct services to achieve the most efficient solution.
DHL Exel Supply Chain's Healthcare contract logistics business has continued to expand rapidly through organic growth over the last seven years, with 70% market share of the pre-wholesale services and the only outsourced direct-to-retail services within the pharmaceutical sector.
In 2006, DHL and Lufthansa Cargo established a joint venture called LifeConEx, based in Miramar, Florida, to focus on the transport of temperature-sensitive goods for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare and medical industry. LifeConEx works for multinational companies like Novartis and sanofi-aventis providing air freight capabilities to the US, Europe, Africa and Asia. In Germany DHL offers dedicated logistics solutions for the healthcare market, including daily direct deliveries into 21,500 pharmacies or truck-based deliveries into about 100 different depots of German wholesalers.
