Consumers are coming to expect more rapid service — including same-day delivery — with the ease and convenience of filling out a web form or swiping an app. In the case of medical deliveries, these issues may transcend the desire for mere convenience. After all consumers of medical supplies often have mobility problems and time constraints resulting from their conditions that make the physical pickup of the medication impossible.
If such delivery is to become a standard part of medical care, moreover, it will have to be discreet and it will have special quality and compliance standards to live up to, beyond what normal parcel delivery entails. For these reasons, an appropriate courier service must be chosen with extreme care. Here are seven signs that a medical courier might not be up to the task.
Unprofessional Drivers
A courier, like any other company, must establish a reputation associated with its brand, and the company personnel must represent that brand. They should be uniformed, professionally trained, and background-checked. The drivers should be wearing an official uniform and driving a company car.
Poor Customer Service
This one is kind of a no-brainer for any service, but it has special importance here. Drivers need to be able to communicate clearly, promptly, and politely so that recipients are aware of any complications or change in delivery status. They must quickly be apprised of why the problem arose and what the driver is going to do to rectify the situation. Manners makes man — especially when delivering medical shipments.
Late or Inconsistent Deliveries
Again, this one is fairly obvious, but especially in a medical context, it’s important enough to bear repeating. One or two snafus are serious enough when the shipment might be lifesaving, or make a huge impact on human well-being. A pattern of late shipments or errors in shipping, such as delivering to a wrong address, is cause for grave concern.
Erratic Payment Process
This needs to run smoothly in any event. In lifesaving medicine, it is simply essential. A payment system that does not work properly in medical delivery can delay the shipment of medication and equipment that patients desperately need.
Inadequate Industry Experience
You are doubtless aware that doctors and nurses require a great deal of training and experience to do their jobs well. There’s a lot to know in medicine! Medical couriers should likewise have ample experience with the intricacies of medical equipment and biological specimens, the special conditions required for effectively transporting them, and the thick knot of law and regulation laced around the industry. Do your due diligence and make sure they’ve been in the game a while!
Inadequate Vehicles
The right tools for the job are essential, especially where life and health are concerned. Vehicles must be spotless and in good repair. They must be climate controlled and have adequate refrigeration and storage units as well as insulated pouches. Medical transport cannot properly occur in a broken-down, unsanitary, and ill-equipped vehicle.
HIPAA Noncompliance
HIPAA is the federal law governing medical privacy. There are very strict regulations regarding what information drivers can and cannot release and establishing a chain of custody around sensitive data. Monitor all your communications with the driver and the company — written, spoken, and electronic — to make sure the rules are being followed.
Conclusion
Medical transport is serious business, and should be entrusted only to serious businesses that specialize in it. A suitable medical courier has the skill, the experience, and the facilities to ensure that sensitive and delicate shipments are moved quickly, without damage, and with legal and ethical discretion. To learn more about Reliable Couriers’ expertise in this area, call 888-415-1781.
