Member organisation endorsement comes after two years of planning
Kings Transport will provide a delivery service for members of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to deliver medicine and medical supplies direct to the home.
Kings and Guild subsidiary Gold Cross Products and Services have been working together on the strategy since 2016, when they trialled how pharmacy deliveries could be brought into line with modern logistics practices.
That study found that a number of member pharmacies were sending staff on deliveries, often in the company car – a move that left the pharmacy exposed under its insurance policy and which meant that a qualified staff member was absent from the premises.
Under the Pharmacy to Home Delivery Service, pharmacies will be able book drivers on an ad hoc basis or arrange regular bookings with the same driver on a regular basis, with an anticipated time from booking to delivery of 3-4 hours.
Drivers will be specially trained in medicines handling and fatigue management, as well as pharmacy layout and operations, and have access to secured track and trace and route optimisation technology to help ensure safety of delivery.
“All delivery drivers are hand-picked to ensure the pharmacy’s reputation and image is maintained with their customers,” Kings says.
“This provides pharmacies with the confidence their quality of service will be maintained through the usual pharmacy friendly, caring and kind way.”
Kings, which currently handles wholesaler deliveries for Sigma, says the service is a logical extension of that supply chain.
“No matter which wholesaler you are serviced by, the Pharmacy to Home Delivery Service will see your pharmacy capable of customer deliveries,” the company says.