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How to Start a Pharmacy Delivery Service

What is a pharmacy delivery service, why do patients choose a pharmacy delivery service, why do we need a pharmacy delivery service, the steps to creating your pharmacy delivery business, state laws and regulations around medicine delivery, additional considerations for your pharmacy delivery business.

Covid-19 flipped the world into a whole set of unknowns and led to many changes in the way we complete certain tasks. Where in the past we may have visited a store, we are now more inclined to order online, where we took a daily commute, we now work from home, and where we would visit the pharmacy to collect our medications, we are now having them delivered to us.

All three of those examples are constantly growing too, none more so than pharmacy delivery services. In 2020 the market was valued at just under $1.4 trillion and is now projected to be worth more than $2 trillion by 2025.

So, could this be an avenue for you to go down? If you already own an independent pharmacy, perhaps the delivery sector is one you haven’t yet explored, or maybe you have but just haven’t been able to negotiate your way through it well enough to turn it into a success. Or perhaps you are looking at how to start an independent pharmacy and want to explore delivery options too.

Well, today RxMile wants to show you how you can set up your own independent pharmacy delivery service so that you can provide your patients with the fastest, most efficient, and most reliable service possible. No longer will there be concerns over wasted medications, delayed collections, or customer complaints. Instead, you will be able to bring rapid benefit to your local community through a finessed process that gives patients full peace of mind, and you as a pharmacy owner, full clarity on how the market has evolved.

It may make sense to get the simple questions out of the way first. After all, you may feel that your operation may not benefit from utilizing this method of distributing pharmaceutical products to its patients. In its simplest form, a pharmacy delivery service is exactly what it says it is. A way for you as an independent pharmacy owner to have products delivered to patients in a safe, considerate and efficient way. 

Whilst there are regulations that vary from state to state, a host of medications can be delivered directly to the door whether they are prescription medications or not. This means less of a delay for the patients, a more efficient service from the pharmacy and a business model that, due to its expansion, opens up job opportunities within the community too.

There are several reasons people are turning to a pharmacy delivery service. Each benefiting the patient differently.

• Helps save time and ensure medicines are delivered as and when needed.
• Cheaper costs and more discounts
• Improved accessibility to medications
• Ensures adherence to a medication schedule

These are just some of the most common, but each patient may see other benefits too that are possibly unique to them.  There is an argument to say that the more personal touch of having a delivery driver come to your door is much better for your well-being than just being seen as just a number when collecting from a large chain store pharmacy.

This is a good question that many people come to RxMile with and that is understandable. If your pharmacy is working well, you may not feel there is a need to change it. Things can always be improved and finessed though, right?

To perhaps get a better understanding of why a pharmaceutical delivery service is important is to instead take the position of the patient. For someone that is immunocompromised or severely injured, attending a pharmacy is not an easy task. By having the medication delivered to the door at a pre-determined time, we allow the customer to get what they want when they want it.  Removed is the risk of a missed dose or a forgotten collection, instead, a road to recovery or urgent aid is provided exactly when it needs to be.

Not only does a pharmacy delivery service provide the much-needed medication but for some people, it may actually provide one of the only aspects of human interaction they have that day. Not only are patients benefiting physically from their prescriptions being fulfilled but many are also seeing small increases in positive mental well-being.

You can look at the incorporation of a pharmacy delivery service as bridging the healthcare gap as you offer a service on multiple levels.

So from the patient’s side, we see the assistance and the benefits a pharmacy delivery service brings but what about us? Those on the pharmacy side.

Your pharmacy needs a delivery service

Without one, no matter how well-run your pharmacy is, you will find yourself falling behind the other pharmacies within your village, town, city or maybe the state. Flexibility, transformation and change for pharmacy owners are a good thing and embracing them allows you to move with the change in demands.  With the “on-demand” world we now live in becoming more prominent, it would be very easy for customers that once used your pharmacy to select an alternate one. This not only harms revenue but could also harm the pharmacy's online reputation which then has a huge reverberating effect on the business.

If you have now begun to see that there could be some benefits to setting up a pharmacy delivery service then let’s start the process.

The steps to creating your own pharmacy delivery business, either as part of an existing pharmacy or as a service hired by independent pharmacies, should be worked through one at a time for the best possible launch into this sector of the business. Jumping ahead could compromise your end results or maybe make this venture unviable. You wouldn’t want to take on a contract with a prescription delivery service app that helps you plan your business, before assessing the local market for example.

Understand the pharmacy market in your area

Before you venture into offering a pharmacy delivery service, you need to have an understanding of whether this is a shape you can fit your business into. Is there competition in the local area? If so, who? Do you have your own pharmacy? Do you have contacts within the existing pharmacies?

Assess your business first

Are you in a position for expansion and change? If not, think hard about how this change could alter your business. Is the risk bigger than the reward? Or could the risk pay off so well that it transforms your business? If you don’t have your own independent pharmacy but are looking to start medication delivery, look at the local pharmacies to see if they could benefit from a delivery service.

Who would you deliver to?

As a pharmacy, most of your customers will be residential and as a result, you will have varied delivery routes with drivers delivering smaller packages to many different addresses. If delivering to hospitals, you will have fewer stops but larger consignments.  This is worth considering when you plan to set up this business. Do you offer delivery to both sectors or just one?

Will you be planning an expansion?

Whilst the initial plan may be medications, it has been well noted, especially since Covid, that other medical items are frequently required. Could there be a gap in the market for your pharmacy or independent business to facilitate this and become a market leader? This will incur further costs, training, and recruitment but if you can see that the market needs it, you could become the premium business for medical supply delivery.

Regulation and compliance vary from state to state and can become a pain point for pharmacies so before you decide that a launch in your area of the USA is worth going ahead with, you will need a clear and full understanding of what the rules are. With our country being so large, it would be hard to list every regulation for each state and region for every medical product here. However, the below list is a selection of some things you will almost certainly need to consider before launching your pharmacy delivery business:

• A pharmaceutical delivery driver needs to be at least 21 and have a high school diploma. In addition, they will require training on installing medical equipment should that be something your business expands into. Furthermore, they must be able to safely carry and maneuver packages that could weigh as much as 70 pounds.
• Delivery addresses will always need to match the patient’s address, this means you will not be allowed to deliver to PO boxes, friends’ houses or workplaces. In most cases, a signature will be required upon delivery of the medication too.
• Data handling is extremely important and within the medical field, there is a lot of data. Everything must be stored securely and the amount of documentation you need could vary from state to state. Just be aware that the protection of personal data is paramount. Some data is shareable, some is private, and failing to differentiate between the two could result in huge fines and possibly a suspension of your service if you commit a breach of data security laws.

To get the clearest understanding of the rules in your area, check the FDA website .

Asses what the customer needs will be

Your customers will want something simple, efficient and reliable. Can you provide this? The goal is to keep people fit and healthy, so minimizing risk is important but what if you have already done that? Then start to consider things from a customer perspective and mold your business around matching a patient’s needs. This could include, but certainly wouldn’t be limited to:

• Speed and convenience
• Automatic refills
• Free delivery
• Ability to track which medicine to take and when
• Money saving

If your pharmacy delivery service can offer the above, you will automatically appeal to a broader range of customers and retain those that may have been tempted to look for alternative providers of their medications.

Investigate the rules surrounding licenses and permits

If you own an independent pharmacy, you will be well aware of the need for specific licenses but branching out into the delivery of medication can mean a whole host more to contend with. If you do not have your own pharmacy, you are less likely to be as well-versed so may require the assistance of a lawyer or others that have experience with pharmaceuticals. Regardless of your current situation, there are specific permits and licenses for medications, and this can extend to their transportation. As this is a key asset to your business model, you will need to obtain all the relevant permits before going any further.

Investigate funding for your pharmacy delivery service

From software to vehicles, from couriers to packaging, there is potentially a lot of expense being added to your business in these early stages so you may need to secure funding to help this expansion. You should also factor in the need for additional storage should you need extra refrigeration for medicines for example and a marketing budget.

With a detailed business plan illustrating, with full clarity, your vision and its benefits to society you should hopefully secure funding in the way of a bank loan, angel investment or crowdfunding.

Sourcing the correct team

Delivering medication is not like delivering an Amazon package or a pizza. It is a carefully mapped process that must be carried out with care. You will want your drivers to match the requirements we set out earlier, but you should also be looking at their character and their experience. You will want people with knowledge but also compassion. That being said, knowledge of medical products is not a necessity for the driver. At the same time, you will want people confident enough in their knowledge of the local area too.

You should also factor in any relevant support for the customer. Using an online service to request their medication may at times run into confusion or difficulty so weigh up whether you need additional teams to help in an out-of-hours customer service role.

Delivery optimization for pharmaceutical deliveries

Perhaps the most important factor in the pharmacy delivery business is the delivery itself. Having your routes optimized for an efficient and consistent standard of service will be key to not only helping customers but also to building up your brand.

The drivers and the teams picking and packing the medicines will need to use tools that help facilitate the smooth-running process. With real-time results and tracking, your pharmacy delivery service can operate exactly how you want it to. But what can you put in place that makes it work so smoothly?

A service like that offered by RxMile gives users a premium piece of pharmacy delivery software so that those distributing the medication and those receiving it can be safe in the knowledge that there are no bumps in the road when it comes to sending out and receiving medication. With routes optimized to expedite a timely delivery, services can be altered as they need to be. If a patient is now likely to be out at their requested time, deliveries can be quickly adjusted to ensure that nothing is left sitting on a doorstep stored incorrectly. Patients unsure of the status of their delivery can also check the progress of their medication delivery giving total reassurance throughout the process.

With software that offers full audit and compliance support, including the collection of co-pays RxMile is set up purely to make the lives of your patients and your teams easier. Other benefits include:

• Patient retention management
• Live driver tracking
• Cost-effectiveness
• Easy integration with existing software
• Delivery synchronization
• Prescription delivery portal
• Captured proof of delivery

This type of software is what makes running a pharmacy delivery service worthwhile. You can learn more with our demo to see what you think!

With these things in place, you are almost ready for launch. You may just need one more thing….

Marketing your logistics company

As you work through the steps you will be gradually piecing together the framework of your pharmacy delivery business. You just need people to know it exists when it launches. Social media can be a strong tool when used correctly. The emergence of TikTok for example has seen a rapid rise in fast, simple-to-follow instructional videos. Perfect for when you want to show people how easy to use your service is. You can then complement this with local media advertisements, handouts and free trials. Possibilities with marketing are potentially endless and if you discover a niche that other pharmacies don’t yet have brand sitting in, you can utilize that to your advantage.

Following the above completes the framework for your pharmacy delivery business but you should also consider a few other factors to ensure you remain the market leader in your area.

Safe storage of medicines in transit

When your couriers are delivering medicines, you want them to arrive safely. This means that a temperature-controlled delivery will need to be in place. This could mean that you need to source vehicles for your couriers that are suitable. A drop of just 2 degrees in the temperature of a medicine can reduce it to waste. This is where cold-chain logistics comes in. A way in which items are delivered in a controlled manner every part of the way. From manufacture through to patient. It may come as some surprise that over half of the 50 top-selling drugs in the USA in 2021/22 must be constantly stored between 2-8 degrees and with live temperature data often required it would be beneficial to ensure you can match those needs.

Consider courier and product security

Whilst there are presently no laws relating to security levels for the transport of medical items, they are unfortunately a target for thieves. With a service like that provided by RxMile and its live tracking available, you may be able to spot an issue that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Investigate ways you can keep your driver and products safe, alarms, tracking, and dash cams should all feature high on your list of priorities.

If you are now ready to start exploring the possibilities of a pharmacy delivery service, then contact RxMile . Our expert team has carefully curated a system that ensures patients and pharmacies are always connected. With all of the components to help create your own independent pharmacy delivery service let RxMile guide you the right way into the future of medicine delivery. With full onboarding and 24/7 customer support available, you are never alone when you choose RxMile.

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How to Start a Medical Courier Business in 8 Steps

• By Rakesh Patel
• Last Updated: June 21, 2024

• Get a detailed roadmap for starting your medical courier business, from market research to its successful launch.
• Learn about the common obstacles faced in the medical courier industry and strategies to overcome them.
• Explore how getting assisted by technology can streamline your medical courier deliveries, enhancing efficiency and reliability.
• Check the ready-to-use medical courier business template to simplify your planning process and get started faster.

Things are different when it comes to handling medical items. Unlike regular courier services, transporting medical specimens, medications, and other sensitive materials demands higher precision, safety, and compliance. 

So, if you are wondering about starting a medical courier business, make sure that you are equipped with a sufficient understanding of logistics, regulations, getting clients, marketing, and managing a team of delivery drivers for your medical delivery business.

If not, don’t worry. This blog will guide you through the essential steps to launch a medical courier service that meets these critical standards, ensuring that your operation not only succeeds but excels in the demanding healthcare sector.

Table of Content

• What Is Medical Courier Service?

How to Start a Medical Supply Delivery Business?

• How Optimized Routes Can Help You Perform Faster Medical Courier Services?

What is Medical Courier Service? 

A medical delivery service business transports medical items such as medical documents, blood test results, lab specimens, prescription drugs, and human organs. These items are delivered to medical or healthcare facilities, doctors’ offices, and laboratories for detailed analysis. In urgent cases, medical courier services are essential for delivering medical supplies at the right time. These services play a crucial role in ensuring the timely and secure delivery of essential and life-saving medical supplies, especially in urgent situations.

To start a medical delivery business, here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Carry out market research

To make your start-up a thriving business model, it is crucial to master the ins and outs of your business market, including creating a comprehensive medical courier business plan. By doing so, you get introduced to various opportunities that can take your business to higher levels. Thus, understanding market dynamics can pave the way for a successful medical delivery service.

Secondly, you must study your competitors to learn about their business strategies, loopholes, and lagging areas. Studying competitors lets you know current market demands, so you can plan your last-mile delivery operations accordingly. So, strategized market research is key to standing out among your competitors.

2. Fulfill licensing and legal requirements

While starting a medical courier company, you have to go through many legal requirements/ formalities applicable in your country or state. Medical goods transportation is heavily regulated, like the rest of the medical goods and services industry, particularly when it comes to transporting medical items.

Workers compensation insurance is an essential part of ensuring your business’s legal compliance and safeguarding your employees. Online certifications authorize you to transport medical supplies and materials.

Online training sites offer medical courier certification in biohazard containment, HIPAA regulations, OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Handling, and other areas. These certifications will boost trust in your medical courier service and help you secure future clients looking for reliable partners for their medical deliveries.

3. Get the required medical delivery equipment

Making various investments is a necessary stepping stone in the medical supply transportation service. You can invest your savings or get soft loans from your friends or family. To safely and efficiently fulfill medical deliveries, you need to invest in various medical equipment, like:

• Packaging materials: To deliver orders securely and in their original state, you must have packaging materials like bubble wrap, containers, and foam sheets. This helps the delivery team manage fragile and delicate items effectively.
• Safety gears: Delivery drivers spend most of their time on the road, delivering couriers. Thus, it is necessary to keep their safety a priority, so make sure to invest in safety gear like helmets, gloves, first aid kits, masks, and jackets.
• Labeling equipment: A labeling system is required to label the medical couriers so that they can be identified and tracked during their journey.
• Communication devices: To facilitate communication between your delivery teams and customers, you’ll need to equip them with mobile phones or radios. Mobile phones also ensure seamless connectivity with delivery drivers.

4. Hire delivery drivers

Delivery drivers are the assets for your medical business. So, make sure you hire the most suitable drivers for your business. They must have a valid driver’s license, exceptional driving skills, technical knowledge, and a clean driving record.

Also, they should undergo hazardous materials training before deploying them on-field after hiring. Only once trained can you rely on them for delivery jobs.

5. Get delivery vehicles

Another essential investment in your delivery business is buying or renting delivery vehicles. Depending on your business size, courier quantity, and delivery locations, you can spend money wisely and use any vehicle.

Various vehicles, such as bikes, mopeds, vans, cars, or trucks, are available for delivery purposes, and all can be seamlessly integrated into your delivery platform.

Download this ready-to-use medical courier business template and streamline your entrepreneurial journey.

6. Market your business

Once you successfully establish your medical courier business, you will need to market it to your target audience. You can market your business offline and online. Moreover, embracing social media marketing can be a valuable strategy for promoting your business venture.

Talking about online marketing, social media marketing, and SEO are the most preferred and useful digital marketing tactics. It draws your target audience to your company’s social media accounts and website. After landing, ensure they get easy access to all the information, such as available services, contact information, blogs, and success stories.

7. Use a Route Planner

Medical delivery businesses spend numerous hours daily on manual route planning, yet they lack somewhere. So, to plan routes efficiently and save hours daily, you must use route planning software like Upper Route Planner. This software has helped delivery teams across the healthcare industry achieve better-optimized routes, reducing fuel costs and increasing operational efficiency.

Using such software, you can utilize it to deliver more orders and eventually make your medical courier business profitable. It uses an algorithm that strives to make each step of the planning and delivery process as simple as possible.

8. Give noticeable customer support

Attaining customer satisfaction should be your top priority. So, in addition to speeding up the delivery process, it is crucial to provide the required customer support before, during, or after deliveries to ensure a positive courier experience.

In the event of a damaged or incorrect courier being delivered to the final destination, customers will file a complaint, so you must provide them with satisfactory solutions. Also, they should have access to track their couriers, know ETAs, contact delivery drivers, and contact customer support.

These were the steps to start a medical courier service. Next, we will learn how optimized routes can help perform faster medical deliveries.

Stop Wasting Time & Resources. Automate Now!

Manual route planning for medical deliveries is a time-consuming nightmare. Upper automates your routes in minutes, optimizing for efficiency and saving you hours each day.

Consider going through this checklist for a smooth start to your medical courier business.

How Optimized Routes Can Help You Perform Faster Medical Courier Services

Just like all delivery businesses , medical courier services also thrive on efficiency. Manually creating an efficient plan for your deliveries may take up hours. However, for small or medium-sized businesses with limited resources, dedicating extensive time and effort to route planning may not be feasible.

We at Upper have come up with all-in-one software that will not only help you increase efficiency but will also reduce operational costs and planning time. Here is how Upper would be a great fit for courier and delivery companies.

Plan unlimited efficient routes on Upper for your medical delivery business

Planning efficient routes in the least amount of time is key to making your medical courier business model successful. With Upper, in just a few minutes, a medical courier dispatcher can plan and optimize unlimited courier routes and, at the same time, send them to the delivery drivers.

Upper helps find the most efficient route and streamline the delivery processes. It will help you utilize your resources to the fullest and divide the deliveries among the drivers efficiently. By doing so, it will enable you to make the highest number of deliveries while reducing fuel costs.

Besides route planning and optimization, Upper has a lot more to offer features like:

1. Route scheduling

Upper lets you schedule routes months in advance . It will boost your operational efficiency and help you plan for the days ahead.

Also, the software will detect duplicate stops and enable you to plan efficiently so you don’t use multiple courier drivers for the same stop. This will help you make more deliveries in a short time.

2. Set priority levels

Transporting medicines, medical transport equipment, medical samples, blood samples, laboratory samples, medical specimens, and other healthcare-related products will always require you to follow strict time schedules.

We at Upper understand the urgency, and our route optimization software allows you to set priority and service time windows for medical pick-up and delivery services so every deadline is achieved on time.

3. Proof of delivery

Upper Route Planner, being a route management platform, lets you collect proof of delivery , a very important document in the delivery business. Instead of getting into paperwork, you can get a digitally signed proof of delivery. In addition, it allows you to click a photo of the delivered order to keep it in your records.

Master Medical Logistics

Take control of your medical courier business with Upper's intuitive route planning, scheduling, and real-time updates. Also, the paperless proof of delivery ensures that compliance and precision are never compromised.

Medical couriers are not required to have a bachelor’s degree or be certified as medical couriers; they must have a high school diploma. However, a college degree in medicine will give you a distinct advantage.

You can cold-call skilled care facilities, medical facilities, and medical supply delivery service businesses. Furthermore, potential clients may also include healthcare professionals, who can become valuable partners.

The average annual salary for a medical courier in California is $33,000. However, medical courier salaries in California range from $19,500 to $58,500, depending on factors such as skills, experience, employer, bonuses, tips, and more.

If you intend to run your medical courier service in the United States, you need the following legal documents:

• Certificate of Incorporation
• Operating Agreements
• Valid Driver’s License
• Business License
• Certification Business Plan
• Courier Insurance Policy
• Employment Agreement
• Non-disclosure Agreement
• Agreement for LLCs
• Occupational License

Failing to stay current on the latest regulations and requirements, failing to advertise the business properly or to have a good website, and the absence of efficient courier management software to plan and optimize routes are some of the most common mistakes medical delivery business owners make.

Starting a medical courier business can cost between $13,000 and $40,000.

Here’s the list of basic expenses you are required to make:

• Vehicle acquisition and maintenance costs
• Business registration and licensing fees
• Insurance, salaries, and fuel costs
• Training costs
• Marketing costs

To start a medical courier business, you need a reliable vehicle, a clean driving record, organizational skills, and knowledge of medical procedures. Additionally, knowledge of HIPAA regulations and clinical terminology is profitable. Moreover, obtaining the necessary permits and licenses may be required, depending on local regulations.

Guaranteeing compliance with healthcare guidelines includes understanding and adhering to laws such as HIPAA. This includes executing proper handling for medical specimens, maintaining temperature-controlled transportation for sensitive things, and guaranteeing secure delivery conventions to safeguard patient privacy and maintain data security.

Essential technology for operating a medical courier business incorporates route optimization apps like Upper. These applications offer features such as real-time tracking, advanced route planning, and proof of delivery to guarantee efficient and reliable medical deliveries. Specialized devices and inventory management systems can also streamline operations and improve client assistance.

Running a medical courier business involves regulatory compliance, keeping up with temperature-controlled transport, managing delivery schedules, guaranteeing timely deliveries, and competing with larger logistics companies. Conquering these challenges requires compelling preparation, investment in innovation, and a commitment to offering great support to clients.

Establishing a profitable business venture from scratch is arduous, but you will reap the rewards once you get off to the right start. Study the different marketing strategies used and develop the most suitable market strategy. Remember, persistence and adaptability are key to long-term success in the medical courier business.

Planning and optimizing the delivery is a major part of your medical courier business. This is where  Upper can help you reduce your stress so you can focus on expanding your business and reaping the profits. Upper assists you in optimizing delivery routes so you can fulfill more deliveries and improve profitability.

Sign up for a free 7 days trial on Upper and find optimized routes tailored specifically for your medical courier service.

Rakesh Patel, author of two defining books on reverse geotagging, is a trusted authority in routing and logistics. His innovative solutions at Upper Route Planner have simplified logistics for businesses across the board. A thought leader in the field, Rakesh's insights are shaping the future of modern-day logistics, making him your go-to expert for all things route optimization. Read more.

Tired of Manual Routing?

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How to Start a Medical Delivery Service in 2024 (Step-by-Step)

Learn to launch & expand a medical delivery service in 2024. Optimize routes & enhance customer satisfaction with eLogii's tools.

Table Of Contents

The global market for delivering medical supplies was worth more than $69 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow by about 9.3% from 2021 to 2028. This means there's a big chance for people who want to start their medical delivery services.

Getting into this business can make you money, and it doesn't need a lot of upfront cash. You can get by with a small storage area and don't need a huge fancy office either.

But remember, delivering stuff like oxygen tanks and X-rays isn't the same as dropping off pizza.

If you're using your vehicle, you'll need to take care of maintenance, pay your delivery drivers, and find clients.

In medical delivery, you'll be moving important stuff like healthcare equipment, medical records, samples, medications, and more.

They usually partner with clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and labs to safely transport medical supplies. Also, they need to follow legal rules like HIPAA . That is about keeping medical information private when moving medical stuff around.

As a manager of a medical delivery service, you have to follow strict rules to keep everyone safe, including your employees and customers. These rules cover everything from workplace safety to transportation laws.

But just following the rules isn't enough to attract and keep clients and good delivery drivers. You also need to offer fast, safe, and affordable service. It helps to stand out from the competition while ensuring fair pay for yourself and your team.

In this guide, we'll give you the basics to start your own medical delivery company. We'll also share tips, drawing from our experience in route management software, on how to improve your delivery process and make each delivery more profitable.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Getting Your Medical Delivery Service Up and Running in 5 Simple Steps

Expanding your medical delivery service through efficient route planning, optimizing routes for medical deliveries, faq about medical delivery services, create a successful medical delivery service with elogii.

Starting any new business involves certain steps. You'll have to choose a business name, make business cards, get active on social media, and draft a business plan.

Yet, in this post, we want to shift our attention away from these general tasks. Instead, we'll concentrate on the specific steps you need to take in the medical courier field.

Now, let's dive straight into the specific steps you need to launch your medical delivery business:

Step 1: Understand Local and National Laws and Regulations

When you're running a medical delivery service, you're dealing with important medical stuff. That includes oxygen tanks, samples like blood vials, needles, and other delicate items.

What if one of your drivers accidentally drops something? Or if the cargo isn't kept at the right temperature?

You also need to know how often to check oxygen levels and how to handle private medical info in documents.

The good thing is, that there are solutions to all these challenges. It's your job to make sure your medical delivery business follows all the rules.

If your business operates in the United States, the rules you need to follow are mainly set by organizations like HIPAA, OSHA , and the FMCSA . These cover things like privacy, workplace safety, and transportation safety.

But remember, each state might have its own extra rules from the Department of Transportation (DOT) that you'll need to follow.

You can discover online certification programs that prepare you to deliver medical supplies. Even if you intend to hire drivers, it's valuable because you'll establish and enforce company policies.

Acquiring certifications in biohazard containment, HIPAA Compliant Patient Confidentiality, OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Handling, and similar areas. These can significantly reassure clients of your team's competency and your business's dedication to adhering to regulations.

Step 2: Get the Necessary Medical Delivery Equipment

Medical delivery businesses need specific materials and equipment. Depending on the type of medical items you're transporting, you might need more than just standard cargo vehicles and trucks.

For instance, if you're delivering electric wheelchairs, you'll need to ensure your vehicles have enough space and the necessary equipment, such as special wheelchair lifts and ramps.

Refrigeration may be necessary for temperature-sensitive items . These could be blood samples or other biological materials.

Certain samples, such as some vaccines, may need protection from light . That necessitates investment in insulated trucks and coverings.

Undoubtedly, one of your most significant expenses will be the purchase of delivery vehicles.

The Mercedez-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van, starting at $43,500 , is a favored choice among many delivery companies.

How can you secure the funds to launch your business? Here are several methods to raise capital for your new business endeavor:

• Bank loans: Banks might extend a loan to support your business , contingent on a robust credit history and a well-crafted business plan .
• Personal savings: Utilize any accumulated savings as a source of initial capital for your business.
• SBA-guaranteed loans. Explore loan options provided by the US Small Business Administration (SBA), specifically designed for small businesses.
• Crowdfunding. Leverage platforms like Kickstarter or GoFundM e to gather financial support from a wide range of contributors, including family, friends, and the public.
• Soft loans from family and friends. Seek financial help from acquaintances without interest charges, potentially providing a less formalized borrowing arrangement.
• Angel investors. Attract investment from affluent individuals or organizations willing to invest in your business in exchange for equity or future profits.

Step 3: Get Licenses and Insurance

Nearly all businesses operating in the United States need a federal business license , including medical delivery services. 

Additionally, depending on your location, you may need to get state and local licenses, as each state has its own set of business regulations. 

To begin this process , consider reaching out to your mayor's office, county administrator, and the secretary of state for your state.

To maintain your business license, you may need to follow industry regulations and get extra certifications.

For instance, your vehicles might need safety inspections for roadworthiness.

You could also need certifications from OSHA and HIPAA.

Your staff might also have to undergo hazardous materials training.

Integrity Medical Courier Training offers valuable on-site and live webinar training resources.

Here are some extra essentials you'll need to launch your medical delivery business:

• Insurance. Ensure you have appropriate insurance coverage for your business, such as a general liability policy, commercial auto insurance, and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Vehicle registration. Register your vehicles with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
• Tax ID number. Get an employer identification number (EIN) to fulfill federal tax requirements for your business and to hire employees. Additionally, for state tax purposes, get a state tax ID.
• Valid driver’s license. Confirm that all drivers possess a valid driver’s license. You may also consider stipulating that they maintain a clean driving record.

If your medical courier service transports prescription drugs legally, your drivers must hold medical professional licenses.

Delivering incorrect prescription medications could lead to legal consequences.

Step 4: Recruit and Train Delivery Drivers

If you're looking to hire delivery drivers for your business, consider posting a job advertisement on well-known job search platforms such as Indeed , LinkedIn , and Glassdoor .

Ensure your ad is thorough, providing clear details on what qualities and qualifications make a candidate successful.

We've provided a sample job ad below for a medical courier/drier tasked with transporting medical specimens and lab supplies:

Make sure your job ad is clear about pay and expenses, so applicants know what to expect for total compensation. Include requirements like a driver's license, a clean driving record, and car insurance (if they're using their vehicle, as well as any background checks you'll conduct before making an offer. 

It's crucial to hire drivers who understand the importance of their role, as they'll be handling sensitive medical materials. They need to be reliable and trustworthy.

Provide thorough training to ensure your drivers are happy and productive in their role on your team.

Never assume that a courier with experience will know your procedures automatically.

Training new delivery drivers is important. Teaching the technical aspects of the job is usually straightforward.

This is even easier if you use a delivery platform like eLogii, which is user-friendly and compatible with major GPS navigation tools such as Google Maps and Waze.

Training your new delivery driver to treat their route as their own small business can be more challenging.

Yet, your courier's conduct leaves a lasting impression. From their attire to how they handle customer inquiries to the appearance of their vehicle.

Often, they're the sole representation of your business that customers encounter.

By fostering a culture where couriers grasp that they represent your business with each delivery, you set them and your business up for success.

Step 5: Get Clients for Medical Deliveries

Here are the types of potential clients your medical delivery service can partner with:

• Nursing homes
• Patients (residential addresses)
• Private practices (e.g., dentist's offices, surgeons)

When you're ready to attract clients for your medical delivery service, consider the following approaches:

• Establish an online presence, like a company website, optimized to appear in Google searches for medical couriers in your region.
• Learn to make cold calls to relevant businesses.
• Network with healthcare professionals.

As a medical courier with a packed schedule, maximizing your time on the road is crucial. That's where a high-quality route optimization tool comes in handy.

Route optimization involves planning the most efficient way to visit many delivery points.

Elogii is a user-friendly route optimization tool built specifically for delivery drivers.

By crafting the quickest and most effective routes, drivers can save on time and expenses .

For instance, Ananas utilizing our routing software managed to achieve double-digit operational savings within months.

Elogii was born out of the recognition of a comprehensive delivery management solution that streamlines all facets of the delivery process.

With eLogii, dispatchers, planners, and business owners can effortlessly oversee many drivers and their daily routes. They can use our mobile app, compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Here are some of the tasks eLogii can assist your new medical delivery service with:

• Streamline delivery routes for efficiency
• Track and manage ongoing deliveries
• Provide customers with live updates on their orders
• Gather proof of delivery for documentation

Let's explore how each feature can benefit your business:

With eLogii, you can generate the quickest routes for your delivery service, leading to time savings for you or your drivers.

Our routing software has enabled delivery teams and drivers to trim down their labor by up to an hour per day. The actual savings could exceed this.

Using eLogii, you save time in two key ways:

• Streamlining route planning
• Reducing the time it takes for drivers to complete their routes once an efficient system is established using the software.

One of our customers - an innovative, advanced supply chain management company - saved 50% in route planning time when they started using eLogii.

Before eLogii, the team at Unimasters needed a solution to improve planning efficiency. The reality is, that when you plan routes manually, it's not just time-consuming. there's no guarantee that you're creating the most efficient route available.

With eLogii, our route planning algorithm swiftly generates the quickest route possible within seconds.

In our web application, you can easily upload addresses by importing a data file.

Additionally, you have the option to manually input addresses, offering your drivers the flexibility to add addresses to their routes as their day progresses.

eLogii will seamlessly update the route accordingly.

Once the addresses are imported into eLogii, you can tailor your settings to suit your needs.

Here are some of the features you can customize with eLogii:

• Task priority: When setting up a task, you can specify its priority level within the Advanced section of the task form.
• Time windows: Establishing time windows ensures deliveries coincide with the operating hours of doctor's offices or labs.
• Service duration: Service duration indicates the typical time required for a Task state to reach completion.

Once you've tailored and optimized your route, you can assign it to your drivers. They will then log into the eLogii mobile app and begin their delivery rounds.

Driver Tracking (Route Monitoring)

With eLogii, you can oversee your drivers in real time as they handle sensitive and valuable medical materials. That includes medical equipment and potentially prescription medication .

Our real-time tracking functionality enables you to track your drivers' locations and their routes. You'll have visibility into the stops they've completed, their next destination, and an estimated arrival time (ETA).

Having insight into your drivers' locations provides peace of mind and facilitates customer inquiries. Instead of interrupting your drivers' work to get updates, you can simply refer to your route monitoring dashboard.

Additionally, you can address customer inquiries by sending out order tracking updates, which we'll discuss next.

Tracking Orders

Whether delivering to residential or commercial addresses, individuals seek to stay informed about their delivery's arrival time. This allows them to plan their day accordingly and ensure someone is available to receive the package.

With eLogii, you can configure delivery updates to be sent to your customers, providing them with the necessary information.

Enabling customers/recipients to track their ongoing deliveries is possible by including the tracking link of the order in your communications with them. Or you can do that by configuring their notifications.

The tracking link displays details such as the driver's present location, status, estimated time of arrival (ETA), and the customer's address.

On the tracking page, customers can track the various stages of their order (referred to as the Task). For instance, they can see if their order has been created, picked up, and more.

These small gestures can distinguish your courier business, enhancing positive word-of-mouth and potentially generating referrals to aid in your business expansion.

Proof of delivery

With eLogii, your medical delivery service can use electronic proof of delivery (POD) features.

This POD can be obtained through a signature (where the customer signs your driver’s smartphone screen with their finger) or a photo.

Yet, for medical specimens, it's improbable that your courier will leave a package at the door and take a photo.

However, it's not entirely uncommon — certain customers may prefer contact-free delivery. In such cases, leaving the package at the door and taking a photo is the optimal method to confirm delivery.

Regardless of how proof of delivery is obtained (via signature or photo), a copy of the POD is sent to your customer.

By integrating these fundamental elements of last-mile delivery into a single mobile and web application, we've supported various courier and delivery companies in expanding and streamlining their operations.

Are medical delivery businesses profitable?

The answer isn't straightforward.

In all honesty, your earnings are contingent upon the number of clients or contracts you secure.

However, if you manage your business effectively, the medical courier industry can indeed be lucrative.

In 2023, the average annual income for an independent medical courier in the US was $48,673.

Furthermore, some independent medical couriers earned up to $105,500

Starting Capital for a Medical Courier Business

Initial expenses for launching a medical courier business typically vary in the thousands. Here are several costs to take into account:

• Fees for business registration
• Licensing and training expenses
• Marketing and advertising outlays
• Insurance premiums
• Costs associated with acquiring or leasing vehicles
• Staff salaries
• Fuel expenditures

Depending on local regulations and the types of deliveries involved, you may be able to utilize your vehicle. Nevertheless, if you anticipate handling a larger volume of deliveries, investing in a vehicle capable of accommodating the workload is advisable.

Like any business try, launching your medical delivery service entails a myriad of tasks.

These include administrative duties (such as naming your business and selecting a tax filing status), marketing activities (establishing a social media presence, advertising, and networking), and overseeing the last-mile delivery operations of your enterprise — ensuring the product reaches its ultimate destination.

Without leveraging a delivery and route management platform like eLogii , you risk diminishing your profit margins due to excessive expenditure on each delivery.

With eLogii, you'll not only expedite deliveries but also enhance customer satisfaction . Providing order status updates and furnishing proof of delivery ensures peace of mind for both you and your customers.

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How to Start a Medical Pick Up and Delivery Service

• Small Business
• Types of Businesses to Start
• Starting a Medical Business
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What I Need to Start a Small Truck Washing Business

How to start a non-cdl business delivery service, the importance of inventory tracking in the medical field.

• Business Rules for Optometry Clinics
• How to Start a Medical Staffing Company for Under $1000

Starting your own medical pickup and delivery service is a great way to ease into the world of entrepreneurship. A medical courier company has little overhead and an array of ways for determined business owners to make money. Not only hospitals and clinics use medical supplies. Millions of people order supplies online or need specific items delivered to them daily.

Whether you hire drivers or deliver personally, the medical courier business is an open road for interested individuals. The necessary licensing, knowledge of handling medical supplies and samples, and reliable employees in the proper dress are the beginning of your medical courier service.

Transport and Safety Licensing and Knowledge

You or your employees must be properly licensed before you can start transporting medical samples. For example, in California, you need a Motor Carrier Permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles. You and your couriers must also be properly trained to handle and transport biological materials.

This includes earning the proper certifications from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and completing hazardous materials training. Integrity Medical Courier Training is one company that offers all-inclusive training options for medical-specialty couriers.

Developing a Business Plan

Business plans are not only used to secure financing, especially when starting a new business, but they also provide a realistic look at the business's potential profit. Start your business plan off with a mission statement and a description of your company. Include a section on market analysis, operation plans, marketing plans and financial plans. Conclude with a contingency plan for possible emergencies or disruptions.

Proper Medical Transport Equipment

The most important aspect of a successful medical courier service is the proper handling and transport of medical samples. Depending on how you structure your business, your transportation equipment may need to be able to hold samples at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen temperatures. Samples may need to be protected from light. Some of the items you transfer may include:

• Lab specimens
• Test Reports
• Patient records

What to Look for in Your Employees

Hire couriers with good communication skills – they are the face of your business. They should understand the colloquialisms and vocabulary of the medical field. Furthermore, they need to be good listeners and not be afraid to ask questions, as your clients may give them specific instructions with medical samples.

Proper Dress Code and Operating Procedures

Establish a dress code for your courier staff because it reflects on the professionalism of your company, protects your employees from potentially harmful biological substances, and maintains the integrity of the medical samples that you transport. Your couriers should wear a uniform that includes your company’s logo and their identification, and they should wear comfortable rubber-soled shoes that cover the entire foot. Require the couriers to maintain proper hygiene throughout their work. They should wash their hands with soap or hand sanitizer whenever they handle medical packages, and they should be trained in what to do after accidental contact with biological material.

Good Driving Records and Well-Maintained Vehicles

Each courier needs a blemish-free driving record and a valid state driver’s license. Instruct your drivers to follow all the rules of the road and not to use a cellphone while driving. You must maintain company vehicles in good working order. This means making and keeping a vehicle maintenance schedule that ensures they are always clean, both inside and outside.

Implement a Marketing Plan

Get the word out about your medical delivery service by contacting local physicians, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to let them know you're available. You may want to get their permission to fax over a price list. Consider taking out a physical ad in the areas where you plan to serve, as well as purchasing online ads across a few social media platforms. Continue using social media to create engaging posts that will draw and retain customers.

• Redline Courier: Medical Courier Services
• State of California Department of Motor Vehicles: Motor Carrier Permit (MCP) - Frequently Asked Questions
• Integrity Medical Courier: F.A.Q. for Your Employee Drivers (not IC's)
• Entrepreneur: 12 Transportation Businesses You Can Start Now
• MLO: Create a Five-Star Courier Service

Michael is a writer in various subjects. He is a mechanical engineer and freelance writer, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. His articles have appeared mostly online.

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How To Start A Medicine Delivery Business

Starting a medicine delivery business involves conducting market research, crafting a robust business plan, securing necessary licenses, setting up an online ordering platform, sourcing medicines from reliable suppliers, hiring qualified personnel, and promoting the business effectively.

• Last Update: November 23, 2023

• Steps in this Guide: 11

Starting a medicine delivery business can be a lucrative opportunity, especially in today’s fast-paced world where convenience and accessibility are highly valued. With the growing demand for prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs, setting up a medicine delivery service can not only provide a vital service to people in need but also offer a profitable venture for aspiring entrepreneurs. In this blog post, we will guide you through the essential steps and key considerations to successfully start and run your own medicine delivery business, tapping into a potentially thriving market while ensuring the well-being of your customers.

How To Start A Medicine Delivery Business: Step-by-Step

Step 1: business plan development,.

Develop a detailed business plan for your medicine delivery business, focusing on the specific services you will offer, the market you will target, analyzing potential competition, outlining staffing requirements, and projecting financial outcomes.

Step 2: Legal Formalities,

After developing a solid business plan for your medicine delivery service, it is crucial to apply for the necessary permits and licenses. These may encompass business permits, pharmacist’s license, and health and safety clearances, ensuring compliance with local regulations for a successful launch.

Step 3: Partnership With Pharmaceutical Companies,

Building strong partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and local pharmacies is crucial to maintain a consistent inventory of medicines. Establishing formal contracts and agreements for supply and delivery ensures a reliable and steady stream of medication.

Step 4: Establish your Pricing Structure,

When determining a marketing strategy and pricing structure, it is essential to consider factors such as the type and quantity of medicines delivered, as well as the distance covered. This may involve implementing a flat fee per delivery or variable pricing based on these factors.

Step 5: Staffing,

When building your team, prioritize hiring experienced staff who are well-versed in handling pharmaceutical products. This should include competent drivers for efficient delivery as well as knowledgeable pharmacy techs, especially if you plan to compartmentalize and manage patients’ medications effectively.

Step 6: Purchase Delivery Vehicles,

It is crucial to choose between buying or leasing vehicles for deliveries of medications, ensuring they have the necessary capabilities to maintain optimal temperatures and conditions for preserving the integrity of the medications throughout the journey.

Step 7: Implement Management Software,

By utilizing management software, you can efficiently track orders, effectively manage inventory, and seamlessly coordinate deliveries. This versatile solution will optimize your business operations, enhancing your overall management capabilities.

Step 8: Establish a Physical Location,

The scale of your operation may require a secure physical location to store medicines before distribution. This location should be safe, capable of maintaining optimal conditions for medications.

Step 9: Marketing,

To develop an effective marketing plan, explore a combination of digital marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships with local health clinics, and direct mail advertising. These tactics will help attract and engage customers, creating a strong customer base for your valuable service.

Step 10: Launch Services,

Once you have all the necessary components in place, launch your medicine delivery service by effectively communicating its advantages and range to potential customers.

Step 11: Monitor and Improve,

Once your business is up and running, regularly assess and enhance your processes based on customer feedback. They play a vital role in identifying areas that require improvement and guiding you towards implementing necessary changes for success.

Starting a medicine delivery business can be a lucrative and fulfilling venture. With the increasing demand for convenient and efficient healthcare services, there is significant potential for growth and success in this industry. By following the steps mentioned in this blog post, you can successfully establish a medicine delivery business of your own.

Remember that thorough planning, extensive market research, and implementing effective marketing strategies are crucial for attracting customers and building a loyal client base. Additionally, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and prioritizing customer satisfaction will contribute to the long-term sustainability and profitability of your business.

In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, adaptability and innovation are key. Stay informed about emerging technologies and industry trends to stay ahead of the competition and continuously improve your service offerings. Always prioritize the safety and well-being of your customers and handle medication delivery with the utmost care and professionalism.

Starting a medicine delivery business requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. However, with the right strategies and a customer-centric approach, you have the potential to thrive in this promising industry. So, seize the opportunity and embark on this journey to make a positive impact on people’s lives while achieving your entrepreneurial goals. Good luck!

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Medical Supply Business

Back to All Business Ideas

How to Start a Medical Supply Business in 13 Steps

Written by: Carolyn Young

Carolyn Young is a business writer who focuses on entrepreneurial concepts and the business formation. She has over 25 years of experience in business roles, and has authored several entrepreneurship textbooks.

Edited by: David Lepeska

David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.

Published on April 11, 2022 Updated on July 11, 2024

Investment range

$12,050 - $25,100

Revenue potential

$104,000 - $312,000 p.a.

Time to build

1 – 3 months

Profit potential

$52,000 - $94,000 p.a.

Industry trend

Key considerations to keep in mind when launching your medical supply business:

• Location — Choose a convenient and accessible location for your business, whether it’s a retail storefront, warehouse, or both. Consider factors such as foot traffic, proximity to healthcare facilities, and storage requirements.
• Product range — Decide on the range of products you will offer, such as disposable supplies (gloves, masks), durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, hospital beds), diagnostic equipment, and surgical instruments.
• Permits and licenses — You will need the necessary permits and licenses required by local, state, and federal authorities to operate a medical supply business. This may include a business license, sales tax permit, and permits specific to medical device distribution.
• Compliance — Ensure compliance with FDA regulations if you plan to distribute medical devices. Understand the classifications and regulatory requirements for different types of medical supplies.
• Suppliers — Establish relationships with reliable manufacturers and suppliers to source high-quality medical supplies. Negotiate favorable terms and pricing.
• Register your business — A limited liability company (LLC) is the best legal structure for new businesses because it is fast and simple. Form your business immediately using ZenBusiness LLC formation service or hire one of the best LLC services on the market.
• Legal business aspects — Register for taxes, open a business bank account, and get an EIN .
• Inventory management — Implement an efficient inventory management system to track stock levels, manage orders, and prevent shortages or overstock situations.
• Distribution — Develop a reliable distribution system to ensure timely delivery of medical supplies. Consider partnering with reputable shipping companies or managing your own delivery fleet.
• Partnerships — Build relationships with healthcare providers, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes to secure bulk orders and establish long-term contracts.

Interactive Checklist at your fingertips—begin your medical supply business today!

You May Also Wonder:

Can a medical supply business be profitable?

Yes, profit margins on medical supplies are high. The key is to specialize in a certain type of supplies and target a specific market for the products you offer.

How do I determine prices for my medical supplies?

Prices will vary by item. Check market prices to make sure that you’re competitive. After your cost to purchase from the manufacturer, you should aim for a profit margin of about 50%. Once you know your costs, you can use this Step By Step  profit margin calculator  to determine your mark-up and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.

Who is the biggest distributor of medical supplies?

The biggest distributor of medical supplies may vary depending on the region and industry, but some major players in the global medical supply distribution market include Cardinal Health, Medline Industries, and McKesson Corporation.

What are the top 10 medical consumables?

The top 10 medical consumables can vary based on specific needs and healthcare settings, but some commonly used medical consumables include gloves, syringes, needles, bandages, surgical masks, gowns, catheters, wound care products, IV sets, and disposable medical instruments.

What is the difference between medical supplies and medical equipment?

Medical supplies generally refer to consumable items used in healthcare settings, such as gloves, syringes, and bandages, that are single-use or have a limited lifespan. Medical equipment, on the other hand, refers to durable devices or machines used for diagnosis, treatment, or monitoring, such as X-ray machines, ultrasound systems, and hospital beds.

How can I differentiate my medical supply business from competitors in the market?

To differentiate your medical supply business from competitors, you can focus on factors such as competitive pricing, superior product quality, exceptional customer service, fast and reliable delivery, a wide product selection, personalized solutions for specific healthcare needs, establishing strong relationships with manufacturers and suppliers, and emphasizing your company’s reliability and reputation.

How can I expand my medical supply business to reach more clients and markets?

To expand your medical supply business and reach more clients and markets, consider the following strategies: diversify your product offerings, explore new geographical regions or markets, establish partnerships with healthcare facilities, clinics, and hospitals, leverage e-commerce platforms for online sales, attend industry trade shows and conferences, and invest in targeted marketing campaigns.

Step 1: Decide if the Business Is Right for You

Pros and cons.

Starting a medical supply business has pros and cons to consider before deciding if it’s right for you. 

• To people and facilities that need them
• Good Money – Profit margins on medical supplies are high
• Flexibility – Run an online business from home, set your own hours
• Partner Needed – Finding a quality manufacturer can be difficult
• Crowded Market – Competing with established firms will be tough

Medical supply industry trends

Industry size and growth.

• Industry size and past growth – The US medical supplies wholesaling industry is worth $279 billion in 2022 after annual 2.5% growth the last five years. In the last decade the industry has grown 50%.(( https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/medical-supplies-wholesaling-united-states/ ))
• Growth forecast – The US medical supplies wholesaling industry is projected to grow nearly 4% in 2022. 
• Number of businesses – In 2021, 14,067 medical supplies wholesaling businesses were operating in the US.(( https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/medical-supplies-wholesaling-industry/ )) 
• Number of people employed – In 2021, the US medical supplies wholesaling industry employed 255,219 people.

Trends and challenges

Trends in the medical supply industry include:

• Therapeutic devices, which includes anything from walkers to hearing aids to catheters, represent 90% of the medical supply industry. 
• The number of elderly Americans is expected to double by 2060 to 95 million, becoming nearly one-quarter of the total population. This will significantly increase demand for high-quality medical supplies. 

Challenges in the medical supply industry include:

• Regulations surrounding medical supplies are constantly evolving and it’s crucial that medical supply businesses stay up to date.
• Continuing healthcare supply chain issues are making it difficult for medical supply businesses to keep inventory stocked. 

Demand hotspots

• Most popular states – The most popular states for medical sales representatives are Ohio, West Virginia, and New Jersey.(( https://www.zippia.com/medical-sales-representative-jobs/best-states/ ))
• Least popular states – The least popular states for medical sales representatives are Montana, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

What kind of people work in medical supply businesses?

• Gender – 46.9% of medical sales representatives are female, while 49.5% are male.(( https://www.zippia.com/medical-sales-representative-jobs/demographics/ ))
• Average level of education – The average medical sales representative has a bachelor’s degree.
• Average age – The average medical sales representative in the US is 46.7 years old.

How much does it cost to start a medical supply business?

Startup costs for a medical supply business range from $12,000 to $25,000. The largest cost is your initial stock of inventory.

How much can you earn from a medical supply business?

Prices for medical supplies vary greatly based on the item. These calculations will assume an average price of $100, although some items could be significantly higher. Your profit margin should be about 50%. 

In your first year or two, you could work from home and sell 20 items per week, bringing in $104,000 in annual revenue. This would mean $52,000 in profit, assuming that 50% margin. As you ramp up your marketing, sales could climb to 60 items per week. At this stage, you’d rent a commercial space to store your inventory and hire staff, reducing your profit margin to around 30%. With annual revenue of $312,000, you’d make a tidy profit of $94,000.

What barriers to entry are there?

There are a few barriers to entry for a medical supply business. Your biggest challenges will be:

• The startup costs of inventory and a website
• The massive competition in the industry
• Finding a manufacturing partner

Related Business Ideas

How to Start a Profitable Medical Delivery Service

How to Start an IV Hydration Business Successfully

How to Start a Medical Lab: Cost, Licenses and Profit Potential

Step 2: hone your idea.

Now that you know what’s involved in starting a medical supply business, it’s a good idea to hone your concept in preparation to enter a competitive market. 

Market research will give you the upper hand, even if you’re already positive that you have a perfect product or service. Conducting market research is important, because it can help you understand your customers better, who your competitors are, and your business landscape.

Why? Identify an opportunity

Research medical supply businesses in your area and online to examine their products, price points, and what sells best. You’re looking for a market gap to fill. For instance, maybe the local market is missing a company that sells durable medical equipment, a medical device company, or a hospital bed supplier. 

You might consider targeting a niche market by specializing in a certain aspect of your industry, such as medical products for nursing homes or therapeutic devices for health care providers.

This could jumpstart your word-of-mouth marketing and attract clients right away. 

What? Determine your product offerings

There are literally thousands of items you could sell. It’s probably best to specialize in a certain type of supplies. 

With thousands of potential items, focusing on a specific category of medical supplies can streamline your business and make it more manageable. Here are some targeted areas to consider:

• Home Health Care Supplies: Target the growing market of aging individuals or those with long-term health conditions, providing daily-use items that enhance their quality of life.
• Specialized Medical Equipment: Focus on products that require detailed knowledge for use, such as orthopedic supports or advanced respiratory devices, catering to specific medical needs.
• Disposable Medical Products: Essential for hygiene and safety in medical environments, these include items like gloves, masks, and syringes that are in constant demand.
• Diagnostic Tools: Equip medical professionals and patients with necessary tools for regular health monitoring, such as blood pressure cuffs and glucose meters.
• Emergency Medical Supplies: Offer essential products for immediate medical responses, including first aid kits and emergency response gear, vital for urgent care settings.

How much should you charge for medical supplies?

Prices will vary by item. Check market prices to make sure that you’re competitive. After your cost to purchase from the manufacturer, you should aim for a profit margin of about 50%. 

Once you know your costs, you can use this Step By Step profit margin calculator to determine your mark-up and final price points. Remember, the prices you use at launch should be subject to change if warranted by the market.

Who? Identify your target market

If you choose to sell to clinics, hospitals and care facilities, find them on LinkedIn and Google Maps. If you decide to sell directly to your customers, they will likely be an older demographic and on Facebook. 

Where? Choose your business premises

In the early stages, you may want to run your business from home to keep costs low. But as your business grows, you’ll likely need to hire workers for various roles and may need to rent out a storage facility for your inventory. You can find commercial space to rent in your area on sites such as Craigslist , Crexi , and Instant Offices .

When choosing a commercial space, you may want to follow these rules of thumb:

• Central location accessible via public transport
• Ventilated and spacious, with good natural light
• Flexible lease that can be extended as your business grows
• Ready-to-use space with no major renovations or repairs needed

Step 3: Brainstorm a Medical Business Name

Here are some ideas for brainstorming your business name:

• Short, unique, and catchy names tend to stand out
• Names that are easy to say and spell tend to do better 
• Name should be relevant to your product or service offerings
• Ask around — family, friends, colleagues, social media — for suggestions
• Including keywords, such as “medical supplies” or “medical products”, boosts SEO
• Name should allow for expansion, for ex: “Care Connectors” over “Diabetic Supplies Direct”
• A location-based name can help establish a strong connection with your local community and help with the SEO but might hinder future expansion

Once you’ve got a list of potential names, visit the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office to make sure they are available for registration and check the availability of related domain names using our Domain Name Search tool. Using “.com” or “.org” sharply increases credibility, so it’s best to focus on these. 

Find a Domain

Powered by GoDaddy.com

Finally, make your choice among the names that pass this screening and go ahead with domain registration and social media account creation. Your business name is one of the key differentiators that sets your business apart. Once you pick your company name, and start with the branding, it is hard to change the business name. Therefore, it’s important to carefully consider your choice before you start a business entity.

Step 4: Create a Medical Supply Business Plan

Here are the key components of a business plan:

• Executive Summary: A brief summary of the medical supply business plan, highlighting its key points and objectives.
• Business Overview: An introduction to the medical supply business, including its mission, vision, and key facts about its establishment.
• Product and Services: A description of the medical supplies and services the business offers, emphasizing their features and benefits.
• Market Analysis: An examination of the medical supply market, including its size, growth potential, and target customer demographics.
• Competitive Analysis: An assessment of competitors in the medical supply industry, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
• Sales and Marketing: A plan for how the business intends to promote and sell its products and services in the market.
• Management Team: An overview of the individuals responsible for leading and managing the medical supply business.
• Operations Plan: Details on how the business will operate, including logistics, suppliers, and day-to-day processes.
• Financial Plan: Projections and analysis of the business’s financial performance, including revenue, expenses, and profitability.
• Appendix: Supplementary information such as market research data, resumes of key team members, or other relevant documentation to support the business plan.

If you’ve never created a business plan, it can be an intimidating task. You might consider hiring a business plan specialist to create a top-notch business plan for you.

Step 5: Register Your Business

Registering your business is an absolutely crucial step — it’s the prerequisite to paying taxes, raising capital, opening a bank account, and other guideposts on the road to getting a business up and running.

Plus, registration is exciting because it makes the entire process official. Once it’s complete, you’ll have your own business! 

Choose where to register your company

Your business location is important because it can affect taxes, legal requirements, and revenue. Most people will register their business in the state where they live, but if you’re planning to expand, you might consider looking elsewhere, as some states could offer real advantages when it comes to medical supply businesses. 

If you’re willing to move, you could really maximize your business! Keep in mind, it’s relatively easy to transfer your business to another state. 

Choose your business structure

Business entities come in several varieties, each with its pros and cons. The legal structure you choose for your medical supply business will shape your taxes, personal liability, and business registration requirements, so choose wisely. 

Here are the main options:

• Sole Proprietorship – The most common structure for small businesses makes no legal distinction between company and owner. All income goes to the owner, who’s also liable for any debts, losses, or liabilities incurred by the business. The owner pays taxes on business income on his or her personal tax return.
• General Partnership – Similar to a sole proprietorship, but for two or more people. Again, owners keep the profits and are liable for losses. The partners pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) – Combines the characteristics of corporations with those of sole proprietorships or partnerships. Again, the owners are not personally liable for debts.
• C Corp – Under this structure, the business is a distinct legal entity and the owner or owners are not personally liable for its debts. Owners take profits through shareholder dividends, rather than directly. The corporation pays taxes, and owners pay taxes on their dividends, which is sometimes referred to as double taxation.
• S Corp – An S-Corporation refers to the tax classification of the business but is not a business entity. An S-Corp can be either a corporation or an LLC , which just need to elect to be an S-Corp for tax status. In an S-Corp, income is passed through directly to shareholders, who pay taxes on their share of business income on their personal tax returns.

We recommend that new business owners choose LLC as it offers liability protection and pass-through taxation while being simpler to form than a corporation. You can form an LLC in as little as five minutes using an online LLC formation service. They will check that your business name is available before filing, submit your articles of organization , and answer any questions you might have.

Form Your LLC

Choose Your State

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Step 6: Register for Taxes

The final step before you’re able to pay taxes is getting an Employer Identification Number , or EIN. You can file for your EIN online or by mail or fax: visit the IRS website to learn more. Keep in mind, if you’ve chosen to be a sole proprietorship you can simply use your social security number as your EIN. 

Once you have your EIN, you’ll need to choose your tax year. Financially speaking, your business will operate in a calendar year (January–December) or a fiscal year, a 12-month period that can start in any month. This will determine your tax cycle, while your business structure will determine which taxes you’ll pay.

The IRS website also offers a tax-payers checklist , and taxes can be filed online.

It is important to consult an accountant or other professional to help you with your taxes to ensure you’re completing them correctly.

Step 7: Fund your Business

Securing financing is your next step and there are plenty of ways to raise capital:

• Bank loans: This is the most common method but getting approved requires a rock-solid business plan and strong credit history.
• SBA-guaranteed loans: The Small Business Administration can act as guarantor, helping gain that elusive bank approval via an SBA-guaranteed loan .
• Government grants: A handful of financial assistance programs help fund entrepreneurs. Visit Grants.gov to learn which might work for you.
• Friends and Family: Reach out to friends and family to provide a business loan or investment in your concept. It’s a good idea to have legal advice when doing so because SEC regulations apply.
• Crowdfunding: Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer an increasingly popular low-risk option, in which donors fund your vision. Entrepreneurial crowdfunding sites like Fundable and WeFunder enable multiple investors to fund your business.
• Personal: Self-fund your business via your savings or the sale of property or other assets.

Bank and SBA loans are probably the best option, other than friends and family, for funding a medical supply business. You might also try crowdfunding if you have an innovative concept. 

Step 8: Apply for Licenses and Permits

Starting a medical supply business requires obtaining a number of licenses and permits from local, state, and federal governments.

Some states require a special license to sell certain types of medical supplies. Check with your state for requirements.

Federal regulations, licenses, and permits associated with starting your business include doing business as (DBA), health licenses and permits from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ), trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual properties, as well as industry-specific licenses and permits. 

You may also need state-level and local county or city-based licenses and permits. The license requirements and how to obtain them vary, so check the websites of your state, city, and county governments or contact the appropriate person to learn more. 

You could also check this SBA guide for your state’s requirements, but we recommend using MyCorporation’s Business License Compliance Package . They will research the exact forms you need for your business and state and provide them to ensure you’re fully compliant.

This is not a step to be taken lightly, as failing to comply with legal requirements can result in hefty penalties.

If you feel overwhelmed by this step or don’t know how to begin, it might be a good idea to hire a professional to help you check all the legal boxes.

Step 9: Open a Business Bank Account

Before you start making money, you’ll need a place to keep it, and that requires opening a bank account .

Keeping your business finances separate from your personal account makes it easy to file taxes and track your company’s income, so it’s worth doing even if you’re running your medical supply business as a sole proprietorship. Opening a business bank account is quite simple, and similar to opening a personal one. Most major banks offer accounts tailored for businesses — just inquire at your preferred bank to learn about their rates and features.

Banks vary in terms of offerings, so it’s a good idea to examine your options and select the best plan for you. Once you choose your bank, bring in your EIN (or Social Security Number if you decide on a sole proprietorship), articles of incorporation, and other legal documents and open your new account. 

Step 10: Get Business Insurance

Business insurance is an area that often gets overlooked yet it can be vital to your success as an entrepreneur. Insurance protects you from unexpected events that can have a devastating impact on your business.

Here are some types of insurance to consider:

• General liability: The most comprehensive type of insurance, acting as a catch-all for many business elements that require coverage. If you get just one kind of insurance, this is it. It even protects against bodily injury and property damage.
• Business Property: Provides coverage for your equipment and supplies.
• Equipment Breakdown Insurance: Covers the cost of replacing or repairing equipment that has broken due to mechanical issues.
• Worker’s compensation: Provides compensation to employees injured on the job.
• Property: Covers your physical space, whether it is a cart, storefront, or office.
• Commercial auto: Protection for your company-owned vehicle.
• Professional liability: Protects against claims from a client who says they suffered a loss due to an error or omission in your work.
• Business owner’s policy (BOP): This is an insurance plan that acts as an all-in-one insurance policy, a combination of the above insurance types.

Step 11: Prepare to Launch

As opening day nears, prepare for launch by reviewing and improving some key elements of your business. 

Essential software and tools

Being an entrepreneur often means wearing many hats, from marketing to sales to accounting, which can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many websites and digital tools are available to help simplify many business tasks. 

You may want to use industry-specific software, such as DME Works , acctivate , or arbimed , to manage your leads, inventory, invoicing, and payments.

• Popular web-based accounting programs for smaller businesses include Quickbooks , Freshbooks , and Xero . 
• If you’re unfamiliar with basic accounting, you may want to hire a professional, especially as you begin. The consequences for filing incorrect tax documents can be harsh, so accuracy is crucial. 

Develop your website

Website development is crucial because your site is your online presence and needs to convince prospective clients of your expertise and professionalism.

You can create your own website using website builders . This route is very affordable, but figuring out how to build a website can be time-consuming. If you lack tech-savvy, you can hire a web designer or developer to create a custom website for your business.

They are unlikely to find your website, however, unless you follow Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) practices. These are steps that help pages rank higher in the results of top search engines like Google. 

Here are some powerful marketing strategies for your future business:

• Professional Branding — Establish a brand that communicates trustworthiness, reliability, and expertise in the medical field through a professional logo, business cards, and an informative website.
• Website and SEO — Develop a comprehensive website that catalogs your medical products with detailed descriptions and optimize it for SEO to rank for relevant search terms.
• Social Media Engagement — Utilize LinkedIn for B2B networking and Facebook to connect with a broader audience, share product updates, and post industry news.
• Content Marketing — Run a healthcare blog with articles on the latest in medical supplies and technology, and distribute regular email newsletters with updates on new products and offers.
• Video Demonstrations — Create videos that demonstrate the features and benefits of your medical supplies, enhancing product understanding and engagement.
• Trade Shows and Expos — Participate in medical trade shows and expos to display your products, meet potential customers, and strengthen industry connections.
• Product Training Sessions — Provide training for complex equipment, adding value to your offerings and enhancing customer satisfaction.
• Manufacturing Partnerships — Establish strong relationships with manufacturers to ensure access to the latest medical technologies and a reliable product supply.
• Healthcare Provider Collaboration — Work closely with healthcare providers to understand their needs and tailor your product offerings accordingly.
• Loyalty and Referral Programs — Implement loyalty programs offering discounts to regular customers and create a referral program with incentives to encourage customer-driven growth.
• Targeted Advertising — Engage in targeted advertising through online platforms and medical journals to reach healthcare professionals and industry decision-makers.

Focus on USPs

Unique selling propositions, or USPs, are the characteristics of a product or service that set it apart from the competition. Customers today are inundated with buying options, so you’ll have a real advantage if they are able to quickly grasp how your medical supply business meets their needs or wishes. It’s wise to do all you can to ensure your USPs stand out on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials, stimulating buyer desire. 

Global pizza chain Domino’s is renowned for its USP: “Hot pizza in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” Signature USPs for your medical supply business could be: 

• The best therapeutic devices to help you live to the fullest 
• Discount medical supplies for your assisted living facility
• The most advanced medical supplies and equipment for your patients 

You may not like to network or use personal connections for business gain. But your personal and professional networks likely offer considerable untapped business potential. Maybe that Facebook friend you met in college is now running a medical supply business, or a LinkedIn contact of yours is connected to dozens of potential clients. Maybe your cousin or neighbor has been working in medical supplies for years and can offer invaluable insight and industry connections. 

The possibilities are endless, so it’s a good idea to review your personal and professional networks and reach out to those with possible links to or interest in medical supplies. You’ll probably generate new customers or find companies with which you could establish a partnership. 

Step 12: Build Your Team

If you’re starting out small from a home office, you may not need any employees. But as your business grows, you will likely need workers to fill various roles. Potential positions for a medical supply business include:

• Distribution Center Workers – prepare items for shipping
• General Manager – ordering, inventory management, accounting
• Marketing Lead – SEO strategies, social media

At some point, you may need to hire all of these positions or simply a few, depending on the size and needs of your business. You might also hire multiple workers for a single role or a single worker for multiple roles, again depending on need. 

Free-of-charge methods to recruit employees include posting ads on popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Jobs.com. You might also consider a premium recruitment option, such as advertising on Indeed , Glassdoor , or ZipRecruiter . Further, if you have the resources, you could consider hiring a recruitment agency to help you find talent. 

Step 13: Run a Medical Supply Business – Start Making Money!

The medical supply industry is huge and expected to grow in the coming years as the population ages. You can get a share of the market by starting your own medical supply business. It’s not a difficult business to start, and you can run it from home and make a good living. You just need a manufacturing partner, and you can sell to local health care providers and facilities or offer your products online. 

Now that you know what you need to know about the business, you’re ready to get to work and start your entrepreneurial journey to building a successful medical supply business!

Thanks for sharing your expertise and providing such a valuable resource. Your article is not just informative but also motivational for those looking to make a difference in the medical supply industry. Looking forward to more business insights from your platform. Keep up the fantastic work!

please email the me the full step by step plan

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• Decide if the Business Is Right for You
• Hone Your Idea
• Brainstorm a Medical Business Name
• Create a Medical Supply Business Plan
• Register Your Business
• Register for Taxes
• Fund your Business
• Apply for Licenses and Permits
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get Business Insurance
• Prepare to Launch
• Build Your Team
• Run a Medical Supply Business - Start Making Money!

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How to build a Medicine Delivery System for pharmaceutical business

With the ever-growing demand for medicines and healthcare products, it’s quite challenging for brick and mortar pharmacies to meet the increasing consumers’ needs. In addition to that, another critical factor in the continuous growth of online medicine delivery app solutions is that consumers no longer need to visit them physically. What’s more, customers nowadays prefer to buy medicines online, because they get lucrative discount offers, quick and comparatively faster home deliveries. Not only US-based customers but also people from all around the world are becoming chained to the rhythm of online pharmacies.

According to Statista , the global online pharmacy or e-pharmacy market was worth 52.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2019 , and it will reach up to 333 billion U.S. dollars by 2025 .

Having that in mind, we can conclude that the digital health industry is growing rapidly. This means the online pharmacy stores can cater to massive global needs. And this very reason why many pharmacy businesses and enterprises are planning to launch online medicine delivery systems that allow the customers to easily order their prescribed medication in one click. Sounds impressive, right? So let’s delve into the details about how to create a medicine delivery system for your pharmaceutical business.

What's exactly a medicine delivery system?

From its name, a medicine delivery system is a solution designed specifically for users who want to order pharmacy products online and get them delivered. Not only can users browse many categories of medications, but they can also upload prescriptions, find generic alternatives and make a payment. All that can be done in one single medicine delivery app solution that provides an attractive alternative to buying medicine offline.

Why do you need a medicine delivery app solution?

Having conducted thorough research, we have identified key reasons why pharmacy businesses need a medicine delivery app. Let’s take a closer look at them below:

• Push notifications : with an online medicine delivery app, users get scheduled notifications that save them from running out of medicine and forgetting to refill their prescriptions.
• No travel expenses : users can get medications delivered to their doorstep without the need to wait in line. Not only does it save their time and money, but also they can avoid getting sick with the infectious diseases.
• Information about medications : users have more time on browsing necessary medications and studying all the instructions using a medicine delivery app solution.
• Price comparison : with a comparison search, users can find the best deal by ordering cheaper drugs.
• Return policy : users can return the medicines, make a complaint and get a refund as quickly as possible.

With a medicine delivery application solution, pharmacy businesses can attract more loyal customers to their brand, retrieve statistical data, and reduce medical waste. When planning your home-delivery medicine solution development, you can focus on a particular traditional brick and mortar pharmacy or partner with different pharmaceutical providers to create a new service. However, pharmacy businesses that tend to sell medicine through home delivery services must have a valid license. What’s more, they must sell medicine only on the basis of receipt of prescription that can be uploaded into the system or sent through email, and then must be validated.

How to develop a medicine delivery system

Having a vast experience in delivering a variety of custom solutions for different business verticals - logistics , healthcare, e-commerce , recruiting , CRM , e-learning , fintech , we, at DDI Development, were requested to develop a medicine delivery application solution for the pharmaceutical business. At the very beginning, it’s imperative to choose a business model for a medicine delivery system and then define its key features and functionality. Let’s start with the business models:

Business models for a medicine delivery system

Below you can find information about business models that helps you in developing a medicine delivery app solution.

First Model : with that model, pharmacies store a variety of medications. Once a consumer submits the prescriptions for the medicine they want, a pharmacy manager checks the validity and availability of the order received. Only after making payment can a pharmacy manager submits the medicine delivery.

Second Model : instead of storing medications, you can partner with the brick and mortar pharmacies. When a customer makes a request online, the medicine delivery system checks whether requested medicines are available in the nearest pharmacy. Once the customer pays the bill for the drug’s, a pharmacy manager instructs the delivery partner to deliver the medication to the doorstep or a courier gets a notification about the order. at the customer’s address physically and shares the revenue based on the agreed terms and conditions.

Key features of a medicine delivery application

We suggested four user roles: an administrator , a user , a pharmacy manager and a courier . Each type of user has access to a certain feature stack. Having that in mind, we have developed a concept of a medicine delivery system that helps you to easily run your pharmacy business online. So let's take a closer look at the features included in each module to catch everyone up to speed.

User module

Below you can discover some necessary features that should be included in the user module of the medicine delivery app solution.

• Profile : To get the authentication, customers need to fill some of the required personal details such- an email address, or/and phone number.
• Select the medicine : users can choose the necessary medicine and select them or save them for the future.
• Filters : users can use filter and list options according to prices, ratings, delivery time, products, items, and radius.
• Prescriptions uploading : users can upload pictures scanned with their cameras from their galleries so that a licensed pharmacist can review them.
• Medicine details : users can read a detailed prescription of each medication, see the manufacture, etc.
• Map View : users can see all active service providing outlets on Google Maps with real-time locations of each.
• Search for substitutes : users can find generic alternatives to name-brand medications.
• Notifications : users can get notifications from the pharmacy about their order confirmation, status updates, discounts, etc.
• In-app payment : users can pay the bill online for getting the drug’s orders at their mentioned place or select the cash on delivery option.
• Exciting offers : users can get the prescribed medicines at a discounted price.
• Order history : users can see all the information including the current and completed orders’ details along with details of stores and delivery providers fast and easily.
• Reorder from history : users can reorder the items from their order history with updated prices of the items.
• Real-Time Tracking : users can track the delivery provider’s real-time location as soon as their order gets delivered.
• Order Cancellation : users can cancel the order by providing an appropriate reason for cancellation.

Courier Module

Below we have outlined the key features for the courier version of the medicine delivery application solution:

• Sign-in : this feature offers the authentication after filling the required details like a smartphone number, or a valid email address.
• Status : it allows the couriers to mark their working status as available or unavailable.
• Orders list : a courier can get the complete list of all the drugs that are going to be delivered.
• Multiple online payments : it allows them to receive the payments in cash from the users after transporting the drugs.
• Delivery status : a courier can change the delivery status from in progress to delivered.
• Push notifications : a courier can receive a notification once a user places an order.
• Navigation : a courier is provided with information about the customer’s location for easier navigation on Google map with an estimated time of arrival.
• Route optimization : they can find the fastest path to delivery or pickup location.

Pharmacy manager Module

Here you can read about the key features that should be taken into account in the pharmacy manager module:

• Order notification : pharmacy managers can get new order requests online and manage them in real time.
• Digital prescriptions : pharmacy managers can view prescriptions online.
• Order management : pharmacy managers can streamline order processing, returns and refunds.
• Online payments : pharmacy managers can receive payments online and track all the payment details in real time.

Admin Module

Below you can reveal some necessary features for the administrator version:

• Delivery Management : an admin can manage all deliveries along with details of all users, invoices, and reviews.
• Inventory management : an admin keeps track of the inventory, orders, and medicine storing properly, gets notified about expiration dates and/or low stock by preventing medicine shortages and avoids confusion.
• Store Management : an admin can manage the profile details with all rights of adding, editing, or declining registration requests.
• Check Documents : an admin can set essential documents required for the registration process and also possesses the authority to check and edit uploaded documents.
• Cart info : an admin can see the active order request and cart order information with every single detail.
• Manage app features : an administrator is responsible for managing features of using referral codes, email and phone verification, document upload, etc.
• Analytics and reports : an administrator can see how well the business runs by bringing together all the operational data and statistics reports.
• Export reports : an administrator can track and export the performance report and compare the report with existing data.
• Earning : an administrator can manage daily, weekly earning details with the provider and store’s earning details with profit rate.

In addition to the above-mentioned features, you should also think of a CRM (Customer Relations Management) system that helps you to keep long-term relationships with the customers or a CMS (Content Management System) that will help the admin to manage the content of the medicine delivery app solution. More importantly, you can add a chatbot that can operate 24/7 and solve users’ queries and answer FAQs.

Once you have all your features, you can create wireframes that help you to better understand the users’ journeys when using a medicine delivery product. More importantly, wireframes will give you a comprehensive look at your users’ experience (UX) with your product. Then you can work on UI design. At the development stage, a development team starts the coding process - all the tasks will be broken down so the project can be built in pieces. Another important phase is testing. It helps you to find bugs and fix them to successfully launch your medicine delivery solution and show it to the world.

How the medicine delivery solution works

Below we have provided a step-by-step process to give you an understanding of how the medicine delivery solution works.

1. Once a user registers or signs up, he/she can upload the valid medicine prescription or enter the medicines in the search field.

2. Based on entered information, the system provides you with a medicine list you were looking for.

3. At this step, a user can place an order, choose a delivery time, add to the cart, or make payment.

4. Once a user places an order, a pharmacy manager will get notifications about a new order.

5. An administrator verifies medicine prescriptions and confirms the order.

6. A pharmacy manager prepares all the necessary medications to be delivered.

7. Only after order confirmation can the administrator assign an available delivery partner or in-house courier to deliver medicine.

A medicine delivery application solution is more complicated than it may seem at first glance. Not only should each customer provide a valid prescription, but also a licensed pharmacist checks it. Nationally regulated systems officially and legally control the rules around electronic prescriptions and online prescription exchange. That’s why it’s imperative to ask for a prescription that must not be eliminated when developing a medicine delivery platform.

The top medicine delivery solutions

Thankfully, some medicine delivery solutions rise above the rest, and we’ve gathered the best ones below:

• Pharmacy2U : designed to deliver a repeat prescription service and provide a speedy, super-efficient and hassle-free delivery to any UK-based address. Moreover, it even notifies you when your next prescription is due.
• PharmEasy : built specifically to let users buy medicines and other healthcare products online and get them delivered to the doorstep.
• Zipdrug: with that solution, patients have access to the lowest-cost prescription drugs. What’s more, it provides free home delivery from top-quality pharmacies that saves time and money.
• Practo : with that solution, customers can find diagnostic labs, clinicians, health practitioners, book appointments, and have online consultations. In addition to that, they can order medicines online.

What are the advantages of the medicine delivery system

Here we have identified the main advantages of the medicine delivery system that you should take into account:

• Quality services : with that solution, you can offer high-quality services including medicine selection, ordering, making payments, delivery options, etc. that helps you to keep the customers happy.
• Improved supply chain : thanks to a medicine delivery system, streamlined delivery process with auto dispatching orders and route optimization.
• Boost delivery experience : you can enhance your customer's experience and make their life easier.
• Satisfied patient demands : fast medicine delivery, easy communication with the courier and real-time tracking increases the customers’ satisfaction.
• Enhance productivity : the advanced algorithms of pharmacy delivery solution enhances delivery operations and minimizes the overall delivery charge.
• Prevents further illness : decreased infection risk: with medicine delivery services, you can avoid visiting pharmacies that will reduce the amount of time spent around other people who may be sick.
• Health Information privacy : sometimes, people avoid visiting the brick-and-mortar pharmacies to keep a disease they are fighting private. With a medicine delivery solution, such people can take advantage of pharmacy delivery services and get the products delivered right to their door.

What are the disadvantages of the medicine delivery system

Below, we have highlighted the main disadvantages associated with implementing the medicine delivery system in your pharmacy business.

• Massive order influx : with the increase in volume, tracking and processing medicine orders may be time-consuming to your pharmacy business.
• Multiple deliveries : in busy times, it’s impossible to get the orders delivered individually — your couriers will have to handle multiple deliveries in all parts of the town.
• More data to manage : the medicine delivery system should work correctly and keep track of all the users’ data to assure the right medicine gets to the right place at the right time.
• Operational complexity : adding new features or functionality may lead to errors or become a big concern. So make sure you can handle an especially large range of scheduling problems and stay on top of your operations.

Bottom line

Medicine delivery solutions are revolutionizing the pharmacy industry. People are looking for convenience and ease in healthcare facilities as well. Rather than standing in long queues at a pharmacy store, they opt for doorstep medicine delivery instead of traveling to a pharmacy for medicine. Now you can do it in a click by grasping the medicine delivery solution that helps your customers get their medicines delivered in the shortest available time.

With a medicine delivery app, not only will each user have easy access to your healthcare products, but you will also have the ability to push notifications that keep your pharmacy business up to date. What’s more, a well-designed medicine delivery solution enhances accessibility and makes your brand recognizable. We, at DDI Development , have a great experience in delivering a variety of digital solutions that meet your business needs and help grow your business. Let us know, and we will help you to develop and implement a medicine delivery solution that will give your business a significant boost.

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How to Start a Medical Courier Business

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Healthcare and Medical » Medical Courier

A medical courier business is a specialized courier service that is responsible for transporting medical equipment, supplies, specimens, and sensitive documents between medical facilities, hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and other healthcare providers.

Medical courier services are essential in the healthcare industry because they provide a fast, reliable, and secure transportation solution for time-sensitive medical materials. These materials may include blood samples, organ donations, medical records, X-rays, and other diagnostic tests.

Medical courier businesses often require specialized training and certifications to ensure that they can handle and transport medical materials safely and securely.

According to Precedence Research, the worldwide medical supply delivery market was valued at $50.33 billion in 2021 and is predicted to exceed $97.5 billion by 2030, growing at a 7.6% CAGR from 2021 to 2030.

Steps on How to Start a Medical Courier Business

Conduct market research.

To conduct market research for a medical courier business, you should first identify your target market and its specific needs.

This can be done by analyzing healthcare trends and demand for medical courier services in your area. Next, you should gather information about your competitors and their services, including pricing, quality, and customer service.

You can also conduct surveys and focus groups with potential customers to gain insight into their preferences and expectations.

Finally, analyze your findings and use them to develop a marketing strategy that highlights your unique value proposition and meets the needs of your target market.

a. Who is the Target Market for Medical Courier Business?

The target market for a medical courier business includes medical facilities, hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and other healthcare providers that require fast, reliable, and secure transportation of medical equipment, supplies, specimens, and sensitive documents.

This can include a wide range of healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and laboratory personnel.

In addition, medical courier businesses may also target specialized markets, such as organ transplant centers, blood banks, and research facilities that have unique transportation needs.

Depending on the location and competition, medical courier businesses may also target individuals who require medical delivery services, such as patients who need medication or medical equipment delivered to their homes.

b. Is Medical Courier Business a Profitable Business?

Yes. The healthcare industry is continually growing and expanding, and medical courier services are becoming increasingly important.

As a result, there is a high demand for reliable and efficient medical courier services, which creates opportunities for a profitable business.

c. Are There Existing Niches in the Industry?

Yes, there are existing niches when it comes to the medical courier business, and here are some of the niche ideas;

• Specimen transport
• Pharmaceutical delivery
• Organ transport
• Medical equipment delivery
• Research lab transport
• Temperature-controlled transport
• Document transport.

d. Who are the Major Competitors?

• STAT Courier Service
• Medical Delivery Services
• On Time Delivery Service
• Medical Logistic Solutions
• Quest Diagnostics
• Priority Express Courier
• Medical Messenger
• Bio-Reference Laboratories
• H&P Delivery
• Mobile Care Group
• Stat Experts
• ProMed Delivery
• Medical Couriers Inc.

e. Are There County or State Regulations or Zoning Laws for Medical Courier Business?

Yes, there may be county or state regulations and zoning laws for medical courier businesses in the US, as transportation of medical equipment and specimens may be subject to special regulations to ensure the safety and security of the materials being transported.

For example, medical courier businesses may need to comply with regulations set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the Department of Transportation (DOT) if they transport medical materials by air or ground. Additionally, some states and local governments may have specific licensing requirements or regulations for medical courier businesses.

In terms of zoning laws, medical courier businesses may be subject to specific zoning regulations that dictate where they can operate, such as restrictions on operating in residential areas or requirements to have a commercial address.

f. Is There a Franchise for Medical Courier Business?

No, because medical courier businesses are typically small, independently owned and operated enterprises that cater to local healthcare providers and facilities.

g. What Do You Need to Start a Medical Courier Business?

• A business plan that outlines your goals, target market, services, pricing, and marketing strategy.
• Legal and regulatory requirements. This may include obtaining necessary licenses and permits, registering your business, and complying with healthcare and transportation regulations.
• Transportation such as temperature-controlled vehicles for transporting medical specimens.
• Insurance (liability insurance and commercial auto insurance)
• Technology such as GPS tracking, dispatch software, and communication tools to manage your operations efficiently.
• Marketing and branding
• Financial resources.

Choose a Memorable Business Name

When looking to start a business, before you can begin to file the necessary documents with the constituted authorities or start your website, it is necessary that you come up with a name that you will be recognized with.

It is essential that the name you come up with can easily be pronounced, is unique and easily memorable. Some of the catchy business name ideas suitable for a medical courier business are;

Creative Medical Courier Business Name ideas

• CareCourier
• SwiftSpecimen
• SpecimenSpeed
• LifeLine Logistics
• SwiftCare Couriers
• HealthWheels
• SpeedySpecimens
• PreciseDelivery
• HealthHopper
• RapidResponse Couriers
• VitalLink Logistics.

Register Your Business

A. what type of business structure is best for medical courier business.

The best type of business structure for a medical courier business depends on several factors, including the size of the business, the number of owners, and the level of personal liability exposure the owners are willing to accept. However, we usually recommend a Limited liability company (LLC) for medical courier business.

An LLC is a popular choice for small businesses because it offers personal liability protection for the owners while allowing them to be taxed as a pass-through entity.

This means that the profits and losses of the business are passed through to the owners’ personal tax returns, avoiding double taxation.

b. Steps to Form an LLC

• Choose a Name for Your LLC.
• File Articles of Organization.
• Choose a registered agent.
• Decide on member vs. manager management.
• Create an LLC operating agreement.
• Comply with other tax and regulatory requirements.
• File annual reports.

c. What Type of License is Needed to Open a Medical Courier Business?

• Business License
• Transportation permits
• Healthcare-related permits such as permits for handling medical waste or transporting biological specimens.
• Driver’s license.

d. What Type of Certification is Needed to Open a Medical Courier Business ?

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance Certification
• Hazmat Certification
• Courier and Delivery Services Certification
• ISO 9001 Certification.

e. What Documents are Needed to Open a Medical Courier Business?

• Business plan
• Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• State-specific licenses and permits (such as transportation permits or healthcare-related permits)
• Insurance policies (such as commercial auto insurance, general liability insurance, and worker’s compensation insurance)
• Service agreement contracts
• Operating Agreement (If you choose to structure your business as an LLC)
• HIPAA compliance documents (If your business will be handling protected health information (PHI).

f. Do You Need a Trademark, Copyright, or Patent?

Whether you need a trademark, copyright, or patent for your medical courier business will depend on the specific intellectual property you want to protect. If you want to protect your business name, logo, or other branding materials, you may want to consider registering a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Cost Analysis and Budgeting

A. how much does it cost to start a medical courier business.

When it comes to starting a medical courier business, the startup costs vary and could range from $100,000 to over a million dollars.

b. What are the Costs Involved in Starting a Medical Courier Business

• Business Registration Fees – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits – $3,300.
• Marketing, Branding, and Promotions – $2,000.
• Business Consultant Fee – $2,500.
• Insurance – $12,400.
• Rent/Lease – $120,000.
• Other start-up expenses include commercial satellite TV subscriptions, stationery ($500), and phone and utility deposits ($1,800).
• Operational Cost (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $80,000
• Start-up Inventory – $1 million
• Store Equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $1,750
• Equipment and vehicles- $200,000
• Website: $600
• Opening party: $3,000
• Miscellaneous: $5,000

c. What Factors Determine the Cost of Opening a Medical Courier Business?

• The size of the medical courier business (number of equipment and vehicles)
• The choice of location
• The required licenses and permits
• The cost of hiring and paying a business consultant and attorney
• The cost of branding, promotion, and marketing of the medical courier business
• The cost of furnishing and equipping the medical courier business
• The cost of the insurance policy covers
• The cost of registering the business
• Cost of recruiting and training your staff
• The cost for the purchase and customizing of uniforms
• The cost for the grand opening of the medical courier business.

d. Do You Need to Build a Facility? If YES, How Much Will It Cost?

In general, you do not need to build a facility for a medical courier business as it is a service-based business that operates from a transportation hub or office. However, depending on the size and scope of your business, you may need to rent or purchase a commercial space to operate from.

e. What are the Ongoing Expenses of a Medical Courier Business?

• Rent and lease payment
• Utilities and office supplies (depending on your location, you may need to pay for utilities such as electricity, water, and internet, as well as office supplies like paper, ink, and pens)
• Marketing cost
• Vehicle maintenance and fuel
• Legal and accounting services
• Salaries of employees

f. What is the Average Salary of your Staff?

• Chief Executive Officer (President) – $80,000 per year
• Operations Manager: around $65,000 per year
• Human Resources and Admin Manager – $60,000 per year
• Sales and Marketing Manager – $45,000 per year
• Accountants (Cashiers) – $45,000 per year
• Medical Courier Driver: $32,000 per year
• Dispatcher: $41,000 per year
• Customer Service Representative: $33,000 per year.

g. How Do You Get Funding to Start a Medical Courier Business

• Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
• Raising money from investors and business partners
• Sell shares to interested investors
• Applying for a loan from your bank/banks
• Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from the government, donor organizations, and angel investors
• Source for soft loans from your family members and friends.

Write a Business Plan

A. executive summary.

Calvin Johnson® Medical Courier, Inc. is a medical courier company that is located in Los Angeles, California, and specializes in providing secure and reliable transportation of medical specimens, equipment, and supplies. Our services are designed to meet the specific needs of healthcare providers, laboratories, and medical facilities, and we are committed to providing the highest level of quality and customer service.

At Calvin Johnson® Medical Courier, Inc., we understand the importance of maintaining the confidentiality and security of medical information and materials. That’s why we have implemented strict protocols and procedures to safeguard all shipments and ensure they are handled with the utmost care and professionalism.

Our services are available throughout the USA, and we have established strong relationships with a variety of healthcare providers and medical facilities. We offer competitive pricing and customizable service packages to meet the unique needs of each client .

b. Products and Service

• Transportation of medical specimens
• Delivery of medical equipment
• Supply delivery
• Courier service
• Emergency transport
• Secure transport
• Customizable service options.

c. Mission Statement

At Calvin Johnson® Medical Courier, Inc., our mission is to provide reliable, safe, and timely transportation of medical specimens, equipment, and supplies for our clients in the healthcare industry. We are committed to ensuring the highest level of quality and customer service while maintaining the confidentiality and security of all medical information and materials.

Vision Statement

Our vision is to be the premier medical courier company in the industry, recognized for our commitment to quality, reliability, and innovation.

d. Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of a medical courier business are to provide safe and reliable transportation for the healthcare industry.

e. Organizational Structure

• Chief Executive Officer (President)
• Operations Manager
• Human Resources and Amin Manager
• Sales and Marketing Manager
• Accountants (Cashiers)
• Medical Courier Driver
• Customer Service Representative.

Marketing Plan

A. swot analysis.

• Specialized expertise in medical transportation services
• Ability to provide temperature-controlled and secure transport
• Established relationships with healthcare providers and medical facilities
• Experienced and trained staff members
• Ability to offer customizable service options
• Strong reputation for reliability and quality service.
• Limited geographic coverage
• Dependence on third-party carriers for long-distance transport
• High initial investment in vehicles and equipment
• High ongoing expenses for fuel, maintenance, and insurance.

Opportunities:

• Increasing demand for medical transportation services due to the aging population and increasing healthcare needs
• Expansion into new geographic markets
• Offering additional services, such as telemedicine and medical waste disposal
• Partnering with healthcare providers and insurers to offer value-added services.
• Competition from other medical courier companies and traditional courier services
• Changes in healthcare regulations and reimbursement policies
• Economic downturns and fluctuations in fuel prices
• Technological advances could disrupt traditional transportation models.

b. How Do Medical Courier Businesses Make Money?

Medical courier businesses make money from offering;

c. Payment Options

• Credit or Debit Card
• Electronic Payment Systems such as PayPal or Venmo
• Bank Transfers.

d. Sales & Advertising Strategies

• Place adverts on both print (newspapers and medical-related magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant events and programs
• Leverage the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote your products
• Install your Bill Boards on strategic locations all around your city or state
• Distribute your fliers and handbills in target areas
• List your medical courier business in local directories/yellow pages
• Advertise your medical courier business on your official website and employ strategies that will help you pull traffic to the site.
• Position your Flexi Banners at strategic positions in the location where your medical courier business is located.
• Ensure that all your staff members wear your branded shirts and that all your vehicles and trucks/vans are well branded with your company logo et al.

Financial Projection

A. how much should you charge for your product/service.

The average cost of a medical courier delivery can range from $20 to $50 for standard delivery, with additional fees for rush or same-day deliveries, distance traveled outside of the standard geographic area, and specialized handling requirements.

However, it’s important to note that these are general estimates and actual costs may vary based on the specific courier company and services requested.

b. How Much Profit Do Medical Courier Business Owners Make a Year?

It depends, but according to some industry estimates, a medical courier business can generate an average annual revenue of around $500,000 to $1 million.

The profit margin for a medical courier business can vary depending on the business model and operating expenses. Some sources suggest that the profit margin for a medical courier business can be anywhere from 10% to 20%, or even higher for businesses with lower overhead costs and efficient operations.

c. What Factors Determine the Amount of Profit to Be Made?

• The capacity of the medical courier business
• The location the medical courier business is covering
• The management style of the medical courier business
• The business approach of the medical courier business
• The advertising and marketing strategies adopted by the medical courier business.
• The number of years the medical courier business is in business

d. What is the Profit Margin of a Medical Courier Business?

The profit margin for a medical courier business can range from 10% to 20% of revenue. However, this can vary depending on the specific services offered, pricing structure, and operating expenses. For example, a medical courier business that offers specialized services such as temperature-controlled transport may have higher operating expenses and lower profit margins.

e. What is the Sales Forecast?

Below is the sales forecast for a medical courier business. It is based on the location of the business and other factors as it relates to such startups in the United States;

• First Fiscal Year (FY1): $350,000
• Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $420,000
• Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $580,000

Set Up your Shop/Office

A. how do you choose a perfect location for medical courier business.

• The demography of the location as it relates to the number of hospitals and other medical facilities
• The demand for medical courier services in the location
• The purchasing power of businesses and the residence of the location
• Accessibility of the location
• The number of medical courier businesses and other retail medical transportation businesses in the location
• The local laws and regulations in the community/state
• Traffic, parking, and security et al

b. What State and City is Best to Open a Medical Courier Business?

• Silver Spring, Maryland
• Rowland Heights, California
• Portland, Oregon
• New York City, New York
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Los Angeles, California
• Chicago, Illinois
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Dallas, Texas

c. What Equipment is Needed to Operate a Medical Courier Business?

• Vehicles such as cars, vans, or trucks
• GPS systems
• Communication devices such as mobile phones or two-way radio
• Coolers and refrigerators
• Safety equipment such as reflective vests, gloves, masks, and other personal protective equipment.
• Basic office equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, and fax machines may be needed for administrative tasks such as invoicing, record-keeping, and communication with clients.
• Packing materials such as boxes, cushioning materials, and seals to ensure the safe and secure transportation of medical products.

Hire Employees

Whether to hire employees for a new medical courier business depends on the size and scope of the business, as well as the owner’s goals and resources. If the business is small and only provides local services, the owner may be able to handle all the tasks and deliveries by themselves without hiring additional staff.

If the medical courier business provides a wide range of services, such as the delivery of medical equipment, specimens, and supplies, it may be necessary to hire employees with specific skills and experience to handle the diverse needs of clients.

Launch the Business Proper

Organizing an opening party for a new medical courier business can be a good way to introduce your business to the community and create awareness about your services. However, whether or not to have an opening party depends on your individual business and goals.

a. What Makes a Medical Courier Business Successful?

• Reliability – Being consistently reliable builds trust with clients, which can lead to repeat business and referrals.
• Excellent customer service
• Efficient operations. This includes optimizing routes, managing inventory, and ensuring that all deliveries are made on time.
• Compliance with regulations
• Hiring skilled and knowledgeable employees and providing ongoing training can ensure that the business delivers high-quality services.
• Incorporating technology into the business can increase efficiency and streamline operations. For example, using GPS tracking systems can help optimize delivery routes and minimize delays.

b. What Happens During a Typical Day at a Medical Courier Business?

• The business is open for the day’s work
• The day may start with dispatchers receiving calls or emails from clients requesting deliveries. They will then assign drivers to pick up and deliver items.
• Loading and unloading of medical equipment, supplies, and specimens that need to be transported.
• Drivers deliver the items to their destination, which may include hospitals, clinics, labs, and other medical facilities.
• Record keeping of all deliveries, including the time of pickup and delivery, the recipient’s name and contact information, and any other relevant details.
• Vehicle maintenance may involve routine inspections and maintenance tasks, such as oil changes and tire rotations.
• The business is closed for the day.

c. What Skills and Experience Do You Need to Build a Medical Courier Business?

• Customer services skills
• Driving skills
• Interpersonal skill
• Accounting and bookkeeping skills
• Business management skills
• Bargaining and bidding skill
• Work experience in a medical courier business environment
• Experience in managing people
• Experience in business administration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a medical courier.

Medical courier is the delivery of medical equipment to patients and healthcare providers. Some medical couriers carry donor organs and recipient patients to hospital.

How Do You Start A Medical Courier Business?

In order to start a medical courier business, you should;

• Conduct your feasibility studies
• Choose a name and register the business
• Draft a detailed Business Plan
• Secure the needed licenses and permits
• Apply for an EIN (Employer Identification Number) / Federal Tax ID Number.
• Open a corporate bank account
• Rent and equip an office space
• Acquire dispatch vans, motorbikes and drones et al
• Hire employees
• Market your services

How Do You Become A Medical Courier?

To become a medical courier , applicants need a current HIPAA certificate; they can’t secure the job without this. The primary qualifications you would need to become a medical courier include a high school diploma or GED certificate, a valid driver’s license, and clean driving history. Employers strongly prefer applicants who have several years of licensed driving experience and a demonstrated history of reliability.

What Is A Medical Courier’s Job Description?

• Medical couriers handle medical items between labs and hospitals. These items often require specific handling considerations like temperature and stability.
• Ensure that medical item/s are securely stored in the delivery vehicle .
• Ensure that the documentation corresponds to each item.
• Ensure that all documentation is credible and accurate.
• Map out a route to the destination, considering traffic and mileage.
• Ensure the punctual collection and delivery of medical items from the healthcare facility.
• Ensure that recipients sign delivery receipts and designations are verified.
• Ensure the safety of each item delivered.
• Log mileage and maintenance information on the company logbook.
• Accurately count and take inventory of medical items to be collected or delivered.
• Perform all duties within HIPAA regulations.

What Exactly Do Medical Couriers Transport?

Medical equipment to patients and healthcare providers, and they deliver specimens to medical laboratories for testing. Some medical couriers carry donor organs and recipient patients to hospitals.

What Is The Job Market Like For Medical Couriers?

The job market for medical couriers is booming and is also an ever-growing market that will continue to expand to new frontiers as long as the health sector continues to improvise and reach out to more patients and partners.

What Do Employers Look For When Hiring A Medical Courier?

• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record (essential)
• 2 years of experience as a Medical Courier (essential)
• Good knowledge of medical terminology, HIPAA regulations, ICD, and CPT coding
• Innovative thinker with strong conceptual and problem-solving skills
• Meticulous attention to detail with the ability to multi-task
• Strong organizational, administrative, and planning skills
• Ability to work under pressure and react effectively to urgent situations
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work unsupervised with emphasis on punctuality
• Physically fit with the ability to lift at least 20 pounds
• Passionate about healthcare efficiency
• Record keeping skills
• Excellent customer services skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to follow through on every given instruction
• Good at driving a van or riding bikes
• Safety consciousness

How Much Do Independent Medical Couriers Make?

On the average, Independent Medical Couriers make between $28,000 to $97,500 annually and between $13 to $47 hourly.

What Are the Demands and Workplace Conditions Of Medical Couriers?

• The specimen or medical equipment must be well-packed and properly handled
• The working environment must be very clean
• No obstruction must be seen on the walkway
• The office and storage facility must be well illuminated
• Key areas within the facility must be restricted and placed out of bound for all visitors

How Much Money Does A Medical Courier Make?

The money a medical courier makes is dependent on their area of specialization and here is a guide;

• Clinical Pathology Laboratories Medical Courier salaries – 6 salaries reported – $14/hr
• MedSpeed Medical Courier salaries – 6 salaries reported – $13/hr
• Labcorp Medical Courier salaries – 4 salaries reported – $15/hr
• Quest Diagnostics Medical Courier salaries – 3 salaries reported – $15/hr

Why Are Medical Couriers Important in The HealthCare Industry?

Medical Couriers are important in the healthcare industry because without them, it will be difficult to deliver medical equipment to patients and healthcare providers, specimens to medical laboratories for testing and transport donor organs and recipient patients to hospitals.

Who Would Use A Medical Courier Business?

• Hospitals, Medical Clinics, Health Centers, Dental Clinics and Optical Clinics et al
• Medical Labs
• Medical equipment manufacturers

What Insurance Do You Need for A Medical Courier Business ?

• General insurance
• Health insurance
• Liability insurance
• Risk Insurance
• Workers’ compensation
• Commercial Hull Insurance
• Physical Damage Insurance
• Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist
• Motor vehicle insurance (comprehensive insurance)
• Overhead expense disability insurance
• Business owner’s policy group insurance
• Payment protection insurance

How Much Should You Charge for Medical Courier Services?

There are a lot of factors you should consider when charging for your medical courier service. If you plan to charge $45 an hour, for example, that’s 75 cents per minute. If a delivery takes 30 minutes, your quote would be $22.50. A 15-minute delivery would be $11.25, and so on. Although most couriers charge by the job, it’s not uncommon to charge by the mile, especially for longer deliveries.

Related Posts:

• Demands and Workplace Conditions Of Medical Couriers
• 4 Important Items Transported by Medical Courier Services
• How to Get Medical Courier Contracts Successfully
• How to Become a Medical Courier Independent Contractor
• How to Get Pharmacy Delivery Contracts Successfully

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How To Launch Your Medicine Delivery Business?

A Medicine Delivery App is no less than an online pharmacy. It is a fact that the Medicine and Healthcare industry can never go in any sort of inflation unless we start growing immortal. That is the reason why more and more pharmaceutical stakeholders are now focusing on investing in medicine delivery business. 

It is also a fact that with the alleviated use of the internet and online services, people have become addicted to online services. They are always in search of online services to deliver them everything at their doorsteps. Even Medicines! Yes, it’s true. This is the reason cannabis delivery software is of utmost demand these days. 

Hence, in this article, we will comprehensively guide you through the different processes and steps that are necessary to develop a medicine delivery app. If you are in the process to start a medical delivery service, then you must follow a well-planned process. 

Starting from the process of creating a business plan, you must have the basic information about the features you require in your online medicine selling process.

You must have a user-friendly interface , for which you must have the understanding of attributes of such platforms.

This article is going to give you a step-wise list of instructions to start your medicine delivery service. It will be related to online sales and physical delivery, yet, you must abide by some protocol to start anything. 

Kickstart Your Medicine Delivery Business:  Step-By-Step Guide 

In this discussion, we are going to provide you with both technical and non-technical instructions of setting up your online pharmacy store. If you know the process of Medicine Delivery App Development, this article will brush up your knowledge a bit. If not, then it is very likely that you will be getting a clear idea of that.

Step 1: Create A Business Plan

Proper planning initiates tasks of all scales. A proper plan is the master tool to map through the entire business process. Your business plan must comprise, although not limited to, the following sections-

• Market research activities
• Cost estimation for developing your online pharmacy
• Naming and tagging your brand
• Revenue generation model
• Risk Mitigation plan

Now, as you will be preparing your business plan, let us provide you with a few information, which can help you:

• Your significant market share will comprise people in the age group of 30-60 years.
• To stabilize constant revenue flow, you can create subscription plans. By doing this, you can increase the flow of customers and profit rotation.
• Fix your market price after proper market research. The price of medicines from online pharmacies depends upon both the market and location. Hence, avoid falling prey to customer dissatisfaction by random price fixation.
• Think of a unique medicine delivery business name. Get it scanned by any chartered accountant or company registration office to ensure that you are the only one using that business name. As soon as you are done, register the domain for your website too.

Related read: Expert Fuel Delivery Growth Strategy And Business Models

Step 2: Register Your Online Pharmacy

Before you start, you must get your business registered. There are many forms of company structure, which can help you start your business of online pharmacy.

You may go for company registration or may take direct business association or franchisee from any leading medicine brand.

During this process, consult with any reputed tax consultant and do all the necessary documentation. Various types of taxation laws governed by the medication and drug policy are prevalent in this segment.

Step 3: Configure A Business Accounting Procedure

You must have a clear picture of your business accounting models. Starting from your investment until the commencement of sales and henceforth, you must have a system to record every financial activity involving income and expenses.

Prepare different ledgers and accounts book for your fixed and variable expenses separately. You should also have the proper documentation to track the income and its sources.

Step 4: Issue Of All Licenses And Permits

You must have proper licenses, certifications, or permission to start your online medicine selling business. Although it is different from a physical store, but yet, certain legal formalities do exist which you must abide by.

Hence, it is always recommended that you obtain all the required licenses and permits before you start your business to avoid troubles and unwanted risks.

It can be your Retail Drug License or Zone Permits , and all are very important for your online business. Also, keep in mind as not to entertain any customer to buy medicines from you without any valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner.

Step 5: Go For Insurance

Like many existing online medicine delivery apps, you can conduct your business in two ways. Either you can keep a stock of medicines at your end, which you can deliver, to your customers on the requirement. You can also have an association with medication stores and hire a representative to deliver the ordered medicine from the seller to the buyer.

You can also choose the mail mode for the delivery of medicines. Depending upon the region, you will operate; select the best so that your customers are not worried about home deliveries. 

Whichever model you adopt, there are risks. Storing the medicines is having the risk of loss from fire or any other accidental incidents. While delivering, your representatives are always prone to road accidents. Hence, insurance is mandatory to protect your online medicine business from getting any crude monetary setback due to any unwanted incident.

As you are done with all the non-technical parts of setting up your online pharmacy store, you should now move on to its technical part. If you know the process of on-demand delivery app development , this article will brush up your knowledge a bit. If not, then it is very likely that you will be getting a clear idea of that.

Most Important Attributes Of An Online Medicine Store

For starting any business, just like planning, the structure of business holds equal importance. The online medicine selling app is just the gateway to your online medicine store. The only point which differs from a physical store is that it is completely digital. Hence, it is very obvious that your online medicine delivery business must have all digital tools for seamless and smooth business. Starting from order acceptance, payment validation, till the delivery, you must have all the tools to monitor and execute each step flawlessly. 

1. Select The Account Verification Method

You must verify your users at the time they register themselves to use your app. For this, you may have a phone number verification or email verification process or both simultaneously. Twilio , TalkU , Sideline is good phone verification solutions. While MailGet list cleaning, Zero Bounce , Xverify are the good ones for email verification. 

2. Real-Time Analytics System

Your mobile app development process must include a module of real-time analytics system installation. I will be helpful for customers to order medicine online and get order tracking data . It will also help you to keep track of the movement of your representatives. By using this technology, you can also track the number of audiences accessing your app and their activities. Big Data, CISCO, and IBM are prime sources of the best Real-time analytics system. 

Related read: 5 Ways How GPS Can Streamline Your Truck Business

3. Selection Of Database Management System

Your online medicine delivery app will generate many data to be maintained. Those can be the list of medicine in stock, a list of ordered medicines, a list of regular customers, or representatives. To integrate and implement all, you need strong DBMS support. MongoDB , HBase, Cassandra, Postgress, and MailChimp Integration are good tools to be used in this process. 

4. Selection Of Cloud Environment

In running your online medicine delivery business, you have to keep an account of a great deal of data and information. Your physical drive might not have the capacity and can increase your expense. You have to store, manipulate, and use data related to your representatives, medicine stock, regular delivery points, and many other lists and databases. For fast and efficient computing, you have to opt for cloud computing. Google is the best cloud server providing a seamless cloud computing environment. Amazon Web Server and Azure can be other good options too. 

5. Selection Of Payment Acceptance Method

This is the most important part of the entire process. Every effort is accountable to this part- payments. You must provide multiple payment options to your customers. It can be using Debit or Credit Card, UPI Payment, or Net Banking. Hence, it calls for a universal payment acceptance method or platform. CCAvenue , PayU, Razorpay are the few most widely used payment gateways in the medicine delivery app development process.

How To Make Your Online Medicine Store User-Friendly

The above-discussed features are the provisions for developing the best app. Apart from that, you must have some special features to attract customers and clients towards your app. Few of them can be –

1. Integrate Chatbot : No human can address queries round the clock. By identifying the most frequently asked questions, and implementing AI, Chatbot integration can be done within the app.  It will generate an automated reply to the predefined set of questions.

2. Flawless Communication : You must keep your customers or online medicine delivery app subscribers updated with regular communication. You can use text message, email, or push notifications mode to do so. You can use these modes to send alerts, updates, and notifications on order delivery status or announce upcoming offers and discounts.

3. Counseling Support : Get your brand associated with a few doctors and medical experts. With their help, you can solve queries of app users or subscribers and help them get instant solutions. You can make this a free or paid service too.

4. Camera and Scanning feature : As your medicine delivery service is dependent upon prescriptions, this feature can be beneficial. If your app has the camera feature, then the user can directly take pictures of their prescription from the app. They will not have to get bothered to move from the phone camera again to the app to upload the photos. The scanning feature can help users or app subscribers to upload any document required for medical assistance or guidance. This feature is a must if your app provides Counselling Support. Users can upload their medical reports for proper consultation.

Related read: No-nonsense Information Security In Logistics To Manage Your Business

Now, as you have got the idea of the best basic features for your app, you may start developing it. You can also ask some experts for medicine delivery app development and provide him or her with your choice from the list above.

An online delivery business should always update itself with trends . Your branding should start with the naming of your online medicine store. Along with that goes the color code you select along with the catchline.

As you are going to practice an online business, a major part of your branding depends upon your presence over the internet. For digital marketing and branding, the following are the most important requirements-

• Attractive Logo And Catchline – It should be very close to your trade, and it is advised not to use any long or difficult-to-pronounce names.
• Website – It must be attractive with short and engaging content clearly defining your missions and values and modes of operation of the business. 
• Social Media Networks – These will be your primary advertising and promotional channels to fetch your customers. So, create pages under the name of your online pharmacy banner to get started. Communicate the news in the feeds of all friends or connections you have in your channel to gather attention and raise queries.

Related read: How To Scale Your Delivery Business Amidst Challenges

Start Your Branding Now

With the significant growth in the numbers of internet users and mobile apps subscribers, online mode of business is the most preferred form nowadays. A few of its benefits are hassle-free ordering and delivery at your doorsteps. With an option of review and feedback, users can easily communicate with the service provider. From a business point of view, it does not require any substantial investment in procuring any physical space.

This contemporary approach of selling medicines can be a multi-million project if appropriately executed. Hopefully, this article has provided you with an overview of the various stages of the medicine or cannabis delivery software development process . You also know the required features for your online medicine delivery app. Now you can execute your business plan and get your medicine delivery business automated by our expert help.

Swarnendu De

Swarnendu De is the Co-founder of AllRide Apps . He leads the product, sales, and marketing divisions at AllRide. Swarnendu is also the co-founder of Innofied Solutions , a technology company helping SMEs and Enterprises in digital transformation, product strategy, and development. With more than 15 years of industry experience, Swarnendu has been the author of top technology books, a speaker at numerous events, a mentor to startups, and has more than 10,000 online students. He has helped more than 600 businesses launch their tech products. Connect with Swarnendu on LinkedIn .

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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to create a medical supply business plan

• Annabelle Amery
• Sep 5, 2023

When starting a business in the medical supply industry, creating a comprehensive and clear business plan is crucial to lay a strong foundation for success. This plan serves as a roadmap that guides the business owner through key aspects of the business's development and growth.

Crafting a well-structured medical supply business plan is not only essential for navigating the complexities of the medical industry, but also attracting potential investors, securing financing and establishing credibility.

Ultimately, a well-crafted medical supply business plan forms the bedrock of starting a successful medical supply venture, guiding the business toward achieving its goals in a dynamic and critical sector.

Looking to create a online business and get started with e-commerce ? Take Wix’s eCommerce website builder for a spin.

Benefits of starting a medical supply business plan

Writing a comprehensive business plan offers numerous advantages for any type of business . As it regards your medical supply business, a business plan is helpful for:

Attracting funding: A well-crafted business plan acts as a powerful tool to attract potential investors and raise money for starting a medical supply business. Investors want to see a clear understanding of the market potential, revenue projections and strategies for growth. A comprehensive plan demonstrates the business owner's commitment and professionalism, increasing the likelihood of obtaining financial support.

Resource planning: Starting a medical supply business involves a thorough understanding of the resources, supplies and staff needed to establish and operate the business smoothly. A detailed business plan forces you to research and outline the necessary equipment, regulatory compliance, logistics, staffing and partnerships. This clarity ensures that all aspects of your business are considered and addressed adequately.

Success planning: Creating a business plan enables business owners to develop a clear roadmap for success when starting a medical supply business. The plan outlines objectives, strategies and key performance indicators that guide your business's growth trajectory. It helps in setting measurable goals and tracking progress, allowing adjustments to be made to stay on course.

Identifying challenges and opportunities: A thorough market analysis within the business plan helps identify trends, challenges and opportunities in the medical supply industry. Understanding the competitive landscape, customer needs and industry shifts allows the business to tailor its offerings to meet market demands effectively.

Sustainability: Creating a financial plan within the business plan offers insights into revenue projections, expenses and profitability. It ensures that the medical supply business is financially viable and can sustain its operations in the long run. This plan also helps in managing cash flow and making informed decisions about budget allocation.

How to write a medical supply business plan in 6 steps

In the sections below, we’ll guide you through six essential steps to help you craft a comprehensive medical supply business plan that sets the stage for a thriving venture in the healthcare industry.

Executive summary

Business and domain names

Market analysis and research

Operations plan, marketing and advertising plan, financial plan, 01. executive summary.

The executive summary is a succinct overview of your medical supply business plan, providing a snapshot of the entire document. It encapsulates the essence of your business, its objectives, strategies and key points. This section is crucial as it often serves as the first impression for potential investors and stakeholders.

To craft a clear executive summary for your medical supply business, focus on introducing your medical supply business, its mission and its unique value proposition in the industry. Summarize the potential market demand for medical supplies. Then, highlight the types of medical supplies your business will offer, emphasizing any innovative or specialized items.

Describe what sets your medical supply business apart from competitors, such as quality, pricing, distribution network or customer service. You should also provide a glimpse into your revenue projections and growth potential, showcasing the financial attractiveness of your venture. Finally mention the initial funding required to launch your medical supply business and support its early operations.

Here’s an example of an executive summary for a medical supply venture: “MediAid Supplies is a pioneering medical supply business committed to providing healthcare professionals and facilities with the essential tools they need to deliver exceptional patient care. Our mission is to bridge the gap between quality medical supplies and their availability, ensuring that healthcare providers can focus on their vital roles without concerns about procurement challenges.

In an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, MediAid Supplies emerges as a reliable partner, offering a wide range of medical equipment, devices, and consumables. Our dedication to quality, affordability, and timely distribution positions us as a leader in the medical supply industry.

MediAid Supplies anticipates substantial revenue growth by addressing the escalating demand for reliable medical supplies and our commitment to unparalleled customer service. To achieve our vision, we are seeking strategic partnerships and investments that will support our expansion and outreach efforts.”

02. Business and domain names

Selecting a strong business name is crucial for a medical supply business to establish brand identity, build trust, and resonate with industry stakeholders. A well-chosen name should reflect professionalism, reliability and the scope of medical supplies offered. It's essential to ensure the chosen name is not already trademarked and is available for registration.

Using a business name generator can provide inspiration and generate creative ideas for your medical supply business name. Once the company name is finalized, securing a matching domain name for your business website is equally important in today's digital age.

Note: once you’ve settled on a business name and decided on the best structure for your business, you’ll want to register your business .

03. Market analysis and research

Incorporating a comprehensive market analysis and research section in your medical supply business plan is crucial. This section delves into understanding your target market, competitors and industry trends. It helps you craft effective marketing strategies and make informed business decisions.

04. Operations plan

The operations plan outlines practical aspects, such as the location of your medical supply business, premises design, equipment procurement, inventory management and staffing needs. It ensures you have a clear roadmap for effectively managing daily operations.

05. Marketing and advertising plan

The marketing and advertising plan lays out strategies and campaigns to effectively promote your medical supply business. It should highlight strategies such as digital marketing, trade shows, partnerships with healthcare facilities and campaigns that showcase the quality and reliability of your supplies.

Remember to keep your branding consistent no matter where you promote your business. Start by learning how to make a medical logo and then create your own with the use of a medical logo maker .

06. Financial plan

The financial plan is a critical component of a business plan for a medical supply business. It provides a comprehensive overview of the financial aspects of your business, including startup costs, funding sources, revenue projections, expenses and the time frame for reaching profitability. This section helps you demonstrate the financial viability of your business and assists potential investors and lenders in evaluating the potential return on their investment.

Startup costs and funding

Outline the initial investment required to launch your medical supply business. This includes expenses, such as:

Costs associated with procuring the initial inventory of medical supplies, equipment and devices.

Costs for leasing or purchasing a suitable location, interior design and furnishing.

Expenses for business registration, licenses, permits and compliance with industry regulations. For example, starting an LLC where costs vary between states.

Costs for creating a strong brand presence, including logo design, website development and marketing campaigns. Learn more about how to make a medical website.

Estimate costs for utilities, insurance, salaries and any other recurring expenses for the initial period.

Funding sources

Identify the sources of funding you intend to utilize to cover your startup costs. These sources may include:

Personal savings: Investment from your personal savings or assets.

Bank loans: Securing loans from financial institutions.

Investors: Attracting equity investors who provide capital in exchange for ownership.

Partnerships: Partnering with other businesses or individuals to pool resources.

Revenue projections

Provide an estimate of your medical supply business's potential revenue over a specific period. Consider factors like the average transaction value, volume of sales and the pricing strategy for your products. Projections can be broken down by months or years to give a clear understanding of your growth trajectory.

Expenses and costs

Detail the anticipated expenses that your medical supply business will incur. Categorize them into fixed costs (rent, utilities, salaries) and variable costs (inventory, marketing, shipping). This breakdown helps you assess your business's cost structure and manage cash flow effectively.

Profit and loss projection

Present a profit and loss (P&L) projection that outlines your expected revenue and expenses over a specific period. The P&L statement calculates your net income or loss by subtracting total expenses from total revenue. This projection provides a clear picture of your business's financial health and potential profitability.

Break-even analysis

Perform a break-even analysis to determine the point at which your medical supply business's total revenue equals its total costs. This analysis helps you understand the minimum level of sales required to cover your expenses and begin generating profits.

Time frame for profitability

Indicate the expected time frame for your medical supply business to become profitable. This depends on various factors, including market demand, pricing strategy, marketing efforts and operational efficiency. Providing a realistic estimate helps stakeholders understand when they can expect a return on their investment.

Cash flow forecast

Prepare a cash flow forecast to track the inflows and outflows of cash in your medical supply business. This forecast helps you manage liquidity, plan for expenses and ensure you have adequate funds to cover operational needs.

Medical supply business plan example: MediCare Supplies

This draft business plan provides a really great starting point for creating your very own medical supply business plan. Remember to customize the content to your specific goals, target market, and location. Make sure to regularly review and update your business plan as your business grows to ensure its relevance and future success.

MediCare Supplies is a forward-thinking medical supply business aimed at providing high-quality medical equipment, devices, and consumables to healthcare facilities and professionals. Our mission is to enhance patient care by ensuring seamless access to reliable medical supplies. Leveraging our industry expertise and commitment to excellence, we aspire to become a trusted partner in the healthcare sector.

Company and domain names

Company name: MediCare Supplies

Domain name: www.medicaresupplies.com

Our chosen company name, "MediCare Supplies," signifies our dedication to supplying essential medical resources that contribute to the well-being of patients. The corresponding domain name, www.medicaresupplies.com, reinforces our commitment to providing a convenient online platform for healthcare professionals to access our products and services.

Our thorough market analysis indicates a growing demand for reliable medical supplies due to the expanding healthcare industry. Research reveals the need for a comprehensive supplier that offers a wide range of high-quality products. Our target audience includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and private practitioners seeking efficient procurement solutions.

Location: Strategically situated near medical facilities to facilitate timely deliveries and direct engagement.

Premises: A well-organized and efficient warehouse designed to accommodate our inventory and streamline operations.

Equipment: Cutting-edge inventory management systems and logistics software to optimize distribution and minimize errors.

Staffing: A team of experienced professionals in procurement, logistics and customer service to ensure seamless operations and client satisfaction.

Our marketing plan includes:

Digital presence: Making a website , optimizing it for search engines and maintaining active social media accounts to reach a wider audience.

Strategic partnerships: Collaborating with healthcare associations, medical facilities and industry influencers to increase brand visibility and credibility.

Educational content: Sharing informative blog posts, videos and webinars that provide insights into medical supply trends and best practices.

Email campaigns: Regular newsletters and updates to keep customers informed about new products, promotions and industry news.

Startup costs and funding:

Inventory procurement: $100,000

Warehouse setup: $30,000

Website development and branding: $20,000

Initial marketing: $15,000

Operational expenses (1st Quarter): $25,000

Total startup costs: $190,000

Funding sources:

Personal savings: $60,000

Bank loan: $100,000

Investment from partners: $30,000

Total funding: $190,000

Revenue projections:

Year 1: $500,000

Year 2: $800,000

Year 3: $1,200,000

Operating expenses:

Rent and utilities: $2,500 per month

Employee salaries: $100,000 per year

Marketing and advertising: $20,000 per year

Inventory restocking: $150,000 per year

Insurance and compliance: $5,000 per year

Profit and loss projection:

Year 1 net profit: Variable based on revenue and expenses

Break-even analysis:

Fixed costs (annual): total fixed costs (rent, salaries, etc.)

Average revenue per month: estimate average monthly revenue

Break-even point: fixed costs / average revenue per month

Time frame for profitability: MediCare Supplies anticipates achieving profitability within the first year of operation by executing effective marketing strategies and catering to the growing demand for reliable medical supplies.

Interested in other business ideas?

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Drug Delivery Business

• Vivani expects to start long-term GLP-1 implant trial this year

July 11, 2024 By Sean Whooley

The company anticipates a fourth-quarter start for its NPM-115 program in Australia, pending regulatory clearance there. This program looks at the investigational six-month GLP-1 implant for chronic weight management. The company intends to evaluate patients who are either obese or overweight with a related comorbidity.

Vivani recently received the green light from the FDA to begin a separate clinical program for NPM-119 , a six-month GLP-1 implant for treating type 2 diabetes. That now-approved trial also applies to NPM-115.

Both implants utilize the company’s  NanoPortal implant technology to steadily deliver medication over extended periods of time . The company aims to guarantee correct doses for patients while avoiding potential safety concerns around fluctuating drug release profiles. The technology can also deliver large hydrophilic molecules, including peptides and proteins. The company believes this enables a broader range of therapeutic applications.

Vivani’s latest milestone follows a strategic shift announced earlier this year aimed at prioritizing obesity implants. The company said it based this change on emerging data regarding the potential for high-dose GLP-1 products.

“In February, our company announced that we were re-prioritizing the development of our GLP-1 implants to focus on the treatment of obesity and chronic weight management in response to the significant medical need and unprecedented market demand,” said Adam Mendelsohn, Vivani president and CEO. “Today we can report that our first-in-human study, LIBERATE-1, is expected to enroll patients who are obese or overweight to primarily support NPM-115’s development program. We anticipate initiating this clinical study in Australia later this year.”

Mendelsohn also said the company believes the results of the trial “may provide clinical validation of our NanoPortal drug delivery technology to support a broader application of the technology in the treatment of chronic diseases.”

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About Sean Whooley

Sean Whooley is an associate editor who mainly produces work for MassDevice, Medical Design & Outsourcing and Drug Delivery Business News. He received a bachelor's degree in multiplatform journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or email him at [email protected].

MassDevice Medical NETWORK

Drug delivery business news.

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Clinical Laboratory Sciences 2024-2028 Strategic Plan

Clinical laboratory sciences 2024 – 2028 strategic plan.

The Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences in the School of Health Professions at Stony Brook University is pleased to announce its 2024-2028 strategic plan, purposefully aligned with the school’s and university's overarching plans to provide world-class education and foster continuous student growth. This strategic plan is designed to optimize student skills and knowledge through innovative educational practices and a commitment to professional development. By setting clear goals and objectives, our department aims to enhance academic excellence and ensure that students receive the highest quality of education possible. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders and community organizations, we are dedicated to enriching the educational experience, preparing students to excel in their careers and make significant contributions to the field.

Our commitment to the students enrolled in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program is to provide the highest quality of education and technical skills in laboratory science. The Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences will facilitate professional development, provide leadership and direction, enhance the role of clinical laboratory scientists as integral members of the health care team and promote the laboratory profession.

Strategic Priority I - CLS Education Delivery

Goal I.1 – Growth | Grow the CLS program by improving quality reputation and best in class education

Objective 1 - Program Quality: Upholding accreditation standards

• Tactic - CLS will uphold the highest educational standards of its program to ensure continued accreditation with NAACLS.

Objective 2 - World-Class: Enhance educational opportunities within the CLS program

• Tactic - CLS will enhance interprofessional education opportunities for students to gain the skills and knowledge to integrate with, and excel on, the healthcare team.

Goal I.2 - Student-centric | Streamline CLS program processes to increase student engagement

Objective 1 - Streamlined Processes: Enhancement of processes and performance for recruitment and retention

• Tactic - CLS representatives will continue to strengthen pipelines for recruitment into the field of clinical laboratory science.
• Tactic - CLS will seek additional student-centered strategies to foster and promote retention.

Goal I.3 - Novel Education | Foster educational and clinical experiences

Objective 1 - Novel Education Model: Deliver exemplary didactic and clinical instruction to achieve optimal outcomes

• Tactic - CLS program will meet or exceed standard pass rates for ASCP certification and NYS licensure exams based on NAACLS standards.
• Tactic - CLS program will meet or exceed standard employment rates for the CLS industry based on NAACLS standards.
• Tactic - CLS program will meet or exceed standard graduation rates based on NAACLS standards.
• Tactic - CLS program will meet or exceed standard retention rates based on NAACLS standards.

Objective 2 - Skill Building: Optimize student skill-base for success as a clinical laboratory scientist

• Tactic - CLS will ensure students receive curricular instruction in quality protocols and practices that are in accordance with industry standards and accreditation requirements (instrument calibrations, use of positive-negative controls, and understanding of SOPs).
• Tactic - CLS will enhance current CLS practice by incorporating problem solving skills into didactic coursework based on NAACLS recommendations.

Objective 3 - Assessment of processes and outcomes

• Tactic - CLS program faculty and staff will review processes and outcomes of student exams, employer surveys, clinical feedback, and student evaluations.
• Tactic - CLS faculty will review program outcomes and student learning outcomes.

Strategic Priority II - CLS Workforce and Culture

Goal II.1 - High-performance culture | Cultivating engagement, wellness, and belonging of faculty, staff, and students

Objective 1 - Develop and retain qualified, credentialed faculty

• Tactic - CLS will support continuing education of faculty.
• Tactic - CLS will support professional development and growth in the profession with funds to attend conferences, webinars, and opportunities to present work.

Objective 2 - Create a diverse and inclusive culture that values and leverages the unique perspectives, backgrounds, and talents of all individuals

• Tactic -  CLS will incorporate cultural competency components into the curriculum to enhance student awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.
• Tactic - CLS will cultivate innovation, professional growth, and create a thriving environment for our staff and faculty.

Strategic Priority III - CLS Research

Goal III.1 - Novel research | Promote and expand research initiatives that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries

Objective 1 - Faculty Research: Support research opportunities for all faculty

• Tactic - CLS faculty will be encouraged to engage in scholarly activities such as publications and presentations on research / areas of expertise, and submission of grant proposals.

Objective 2 - Interprofessional Research: Foster interprofessional research and collaboration

• Tactic - CLS will develop partnerships with students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders to engage in interprofessional scholarly or creative activities.

Strategic Priority IV - CLS Resources

Goal IV.1 - Program-wide excellence | Support and advance excellence through the allocation and utilization of resources

Objective 1 – Advancement: Support advancement opportunities to increase philanthropy

• Tactic - CLS will create strategies for successful advancement and development opportunities by facilitating philanthropic relationships with potential donors.
• Tactic - CLS will create a fundraising campaign to include outreach, including connections with CLS community members.

Objective 2 – Reputation: Optimize marketing and communication initiatives to support CLS program awareness and engagement

• Tactic - CLS will grow its social media presence.
• Tactic - CLS will develop a marketing plan to create awareness around its program.
• Tactic - CLS will work with Dean's office and digital strategy experts to ensure search engine optimization and best end-user web experience.

Strategic Priority V - CLS Community and Partnerships

Goal V.1 - Expansion of CLS Community and  Partnerships | Expand and advance internal and external partnerships to strengthen community connections and affiliate relationships

Objective 1 – Partnerships: Strengthen and expand partnerships

• Tactic - CLS will explore internal and external partnerships for educational, research, and scholarship collaborations within targeted areas of workforce growth.

Objective 2 – Affiliations: Expand and develop affiliations

• Tactic - CLS will explore external partnerships to facilitate a mutual exchange of ideas, resources, and talent with partners.

Objective 3 - Community Engagement: Supporting and strengthening partnerships with community members

• Tactic - CLS will support community engagement through initiatives in SHP's Center for Community Engagement and other initiatives across campus.

South Korea drops plan to suspend licenses of striking doctors

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South Korea abandons plan to suspend licenses of striking doctors to resolve medical impasse

South Korean Health and Welfare Minister Cho KyooHong speaks during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 8, 2024. South Korea says it’ll withdraw its earlier plan to suspend licenses of striking doctors to resolve the country’s long medical impasse.(Choi Jae-goo/Yonhap via AP)

South Korean Health and Welfare Minister Cho KyooHong speaks during a briefing at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, July 8, 2024. (Choi Jae-goo/Yonhap via AP)

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s government announced Monday it will abandon its plan to suspend the licenses of striking junior doctors as part of its efforts to convince them to return to work and resolve the country’s monthslong medical impasse.

It wasn’t immediately known whether the thousands of striking doctors would return to their hospitals after the announcement. The government’s concession could also invite accusations of unfairness given its treatment of previous labor strikes and of doctors who have already returned to work.

Health Minister Cho KyooHong said the government has decided not to suspend the licenses of the strikers, who are medical interns and residents, regardless of whether they return to their hospitals or not. He said the government will also offer special measures to returnees to minimize the gap in their training and help them obtain specialist licenses in time.

“After painstaking deliberations, the government has reached this decision based on an assessment that minimizing the medical vacuum in the treatment of emergency and seriously ill patients and maintaining a training system to supply specialists at the right time will serve the public interest more than anything else,” Cho said.

More than 90% of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents walked off their jobs in February to protest the government’s plan to sharply boost medical school admissions. The walkout has significantly burdened the operations of university hospitals where they were training and threatened to disrupt South Korea’s medical services.

Some senior doctors and professors at those teaching schools supported the walkout by holding rallies and temporarily walking off their jobs or reducing their working hours.

Officials have said they want to add up to 10,000 doctors by 2035 to cope with the country’s fast-aging population and a shortage of physicians in rural areas and in low-paying yet essential specialties like pediatrics and emergency departments.

Doctors say schools aren’t ready to handle such an abrupt increase in students and that it would ultimately undermine the country’s medical services. But critics argue that physicians, one of the best-paid jobs in South Korea, are mainly worried that having more doctors would lower their future incomes.

The striking doctors suffered a major legal setback after a Seoul court in May ruled in support of the government’s plan. The Supreme Court upheld that ruling in June.

The government later took steps to withdraw its plan to suspend the licenses of doctors who returned to their hospitals but didn’t do so for those who remained off the job. Only a small number of strikers have returned to work. As of last Friday, about 8% of the 13,756 medical interns and residents at about 210 teaching hospitals were working, according to government records.

Government officials earlier threatened to impose three-month license suspensions on striking doctors and even indictments by prosecutors for refusing back-to-work orders. President Yoon Suk Yeol — who has said illegal strikes should be dealt with in line with the law — also called the doctors’ walkout an “illegal collective action.”

The standoff created strife among doctors, with some harassing colleagues who opted not to join or continue the strike, according to local media reports.

Cho, the health minister, said the government was aware of possible criticism over the issue of fairness in its decision not to suspend the licenses of the striking doctors. He said patient groups and some medical officials have called for an early end of the walkout by the striking doctors.

Last month, the government finalized a plan to increase next year’s medical school enrollment by about 1,500, down from its earlier push for a 2,000-student increase. The current medical student enrollment cap has been unchanged at 3,058 since 2006, with doctors blocking previous government attempts to raise it with vehement protests.

Health Plan Cost Control Suits Ramp Up as Pricing Data Revealed

By Lauren Clason

Lawsuits alleging employers and health insurance companies shirked their duty to oversee costs are on the rise amid increased price transparency and public outcry against high medical expenses.

A lawsuit filed by a Johnson & Johnson employee in New Jersey federal court earlier this year argued the company violated its obligation to act in the best interest of workers under federal benefits law by overpaying its pharmacy benefit manager for generic specialty drugs available at lower cost elsewhere.

But others from the Kraft Heinz Co. , to the Mayo Clinic , to Aetna Life Insurance Co. have also become parties in this emerging arena of medical-cost fiduciary litigation.

The range of lawsuits alleging failure to meet fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are broad in scope, and pit employees against employer plan sponsors, and both employers and workers against insurance companies.

“The employer plan sponsors are kind of both in the plaintiff’s seat and in the defendant’s seat in some of these cases,” said Joanne Roskey , a member of Miller & Chevalier’s ERISA and employee benefits litigation team.

Recent moves by federal lawmakers and regulators have placed the responsibilities of employers and health plans under scrutiny as more data on health-care pricing comes to light.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 included several measures aimed at strengthening the role of fiduciaries in health plans, including ensuring that compensation for service providers is “reasonable.” The law also requires group health plans to disclose more data around drug costs.

That was a major impetus for these types of lawsuits, which will give more context on the definition of “reasonable” under the law, said Jenny Kiesewetter , of counsel in Fisher & Phillips LLP’s employee benefits and tax practice.

“I think the courts are really going to help us define how big that scope is,” she said.

Roskey said the application of the 2021 law is “somewhat murky.” But she cited the “transparency in coverage” rule issued by federal agencies in 2020 that requires health plans to disclose negotiated rates with providers as a key development.

Employers and enrollees have begun to compare this data with their own medical claims to use in bringing litigation.

Standing Questions

Schlichter Bogard LLP founder Jerry Schlichter —who pioneered fiduciary litigation challenging excessive fees in retirement plans—posted LinkedIn ads in 2023 looking for potential plaintiffs in health plans from Target Corp., Nordstrom Inc., State Farm, and PetSmart LLC.

The ads stoked speculation the plaintiffs’ lawyer was looking to replicate his class-action ERISA challenges to administrative and recordkeeping fees in retirement plans for enrollees in health-care plans.

Schlichter, who declined to comment, doesn’t appear to have yet filed any lawsuits challenging health plan costs on behalf of participants.

A key factor differentiating the health plan lawsuits from the retirement cases is that retirement plaintiffs likely have an easier path to demonstrating harm, benefits lawyers said.

The impact that high administrative fees have on pension and 401(k) plans is easy to see in employees’ account balances. The cost impact isn’t as clear in the context of a health plan’s medical services.

“I think there’s factual differences in how these work on both sides that will not allow there to be complete replication of the types of legal theories and decision making that was present on the retirement plan side,” Roskey said.

In July 2023, the US District Court for the District of New Jersey dismissed a case from two former MetLife Inc. employees who alleged the company violated ERISA by keeping $65 million in drug rebates from its PBM, Express Scripts Inc.

The employees lacked standing to sue because they’re only entitled to the plan’s benefits, not its financial assets, Judge William J. Martini concluded. Because they were never denied benefits, they weren’t harmed when MetLife kept the rebates, he said.

“To the extent there are excessive fees, they’re just raising the cost of the benefits,” Roskey said. “Not the entitlement to benefits.”

Others think health plan participants’ standing is clear, however.

The only difference between the two types of cases is that enrollees only bear part of the costs in health plans, said Kai Richter , of counsel with Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC. Richter also represents Ann Lewandowski, the employee suing Johnson & Johnson.

“Whether you pay a penny or you pay, you know, $100,000, it makes no difference,” he said. “You have standing to sue.”

‘A New Standard’

Legal liability from employee concern about medical costs might be one reason why employers are increasingly bringing their own fiduciary litigation against third parties that administer their claims, in order to call out misconduct or obtain pricing data.

Failing to pursue the cost data from insurance companies and other service providers can amount to a breach of fiduciary duty for employers, said Jonathan Levitt , co-founding partner of Frier Levitt.

“Those employers that are suing to find out data, they’re not being overly aggressive,” he said. “I think they’re setting a new standard.”

Attorneys with McKool Smith in Texas are representing several employers in lawsuits against Aetna, alleging the insurer is withholding cost data and reprices medical claims illegally. Clients include Aramark Services Inc. , Huntsman International LLC , Kraft Heinz Co. , and W. W. Grainger Inc.

The suits, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, accuse Aetna of mismanaging the plans, including by underpaying physicians and keeping the difference, using “dummy” codes to cover the cost of subcontractor fees, and not performing proper due diligence for fraudulent claims.

Huntsman said in its complaint it became aware of pricing discrepancies after the recent federal transparency rules forced Aetna to publish contracted rates.

Those rates were lower than the amount the company paid doctors from Huntsman’s plans, according to the company, which is now pushing for more claims data.

Aetna declined to comment on the specifics of the cases, but said it’s “dedicated to partnering with its commercial plan sponsors to facilitate access to quality, affordable and convenient health care for the employees of our plan sponsors.”

Contracts at Play

Employers thus far have encountered hurdles in arbitration and legal disputes with insurance companies that administer self-funded plans, according to Levitt, who represents employers.

Employer contracts typically don’t cover the insurance company’s contract with other service providers like PBMs, which manage prescription drug benefits, or drug rebate aggregators—which negotiate rebates from drug manufacturers for multiple PBMs—he said.

“You don’t have a contract with these other parties, the rebate aggregator and the PBM, and therefore you can’t sue them,” he said. “You can’t get discovery from them.”

A case brought by a pair of union trustees in Connecticut federal court against Elevance Health Inc. failed to show that the insurer was a fiduciary with discretion over the unions’ medical costs, the court determined. The judge instead found that prices were subject to Elevance’s previously negotiated contract with providers.

Building transparency and audit language into contracts can facilitate access to data as well as explicitly deeming the insurer a fiduciary in specific activities, Levitt said.

With plan participant suits against sponsors, courts are likely to scrutinize contract terms in determining whether an employer was negligent in its fiduciary duties, as well as whether the employer investigated possible conflicts of interest with independent consultants. Employers also can avoid lawsuits through ample documentation processes regardless of whether it’s for retirement plans or health plans, said Craig Martin of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

“If you have no process and you chose a company to supply prescription drugs because your brother-in-law worked at that company and that’s it,” he said, “then, well, that’s not a very good process.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Lauren Clason in Washington at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rebekah Mintzer at [email protected] ; Laura D. Francis at [email protected]

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Stary Oskol city, Russia

The city of Belgorod oblast .

Stary Oskol - Overview

Stary Oskol is a city in Russia located in the Belgorod region, standing on the banks of the Oskol River, about 142 km northeast of Belgorod, 632 km south of Moscow.

The population of Stary Oskol is about 222,600 (2022), the area - 134 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 4725, the postal codes - 309500-309518.

Stary Oskol city flag

Stary oskol city coat of arms.

Stary Oskol city map, Russia

History of stary oskol.

In 1300, there was a village called Ugly on the the territory of the present city. Today, it is one of the districts of Stary Oskol. At that time, the village was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and was a border crossing point on the border with the Golden Horde.

The settlement of Oskol was founded by Russian Tsar Fyodor Ioanovich’s order (Ivan’s the Terrible son) to protect the southern borders of the Russian kingdom in 1593. The bulk of the population were peasants and the military.

In 1617, the town was burned by the Poles. In 1625, 1642 and 1677, the Crimean Tatars approached Stary Oskol, but could not capture it. The town was renamed Stary Oskol (meaning Old Oskol) in 1655, when the town of Tsaryov-Alexeyev, located down the river, was renamed Novy Oskol (New Oskol). Fortifications of the town existed until the 18th century.

More Historical Facts…

Gradually, Stary Oskol turned into peaceful, commercial and merchant town - the center of an agricultural district. Industrial production was represented mainly by enterprises on processing agricultural products.

In 1780, the town got its coat of arms. In 1784, Stary Oskol like most Russian towns of that time was rebuilt according to a new plan signed by Empress Catherine II. A large number of brick houses were built, mostly two-story buildings. The historic center of Stary Oskol has been preserved to our time.

In the second half of the 19th century, the town had a wide network of schools, libraries, reading rooms, printing, secondary schools. In 1894, construction of the railway began, trade and industry began to develop rapidly.

Until the 1930s, there were eleven Orthodox churches in Stary Oskol. During the Second World War, Stary Oskol was occupied by the Germans from July 2, 1942 to February 5, 1943. In 1954, the city became part of the newly formed Belgorod region.

In the late 1960s - early 1970s, in connection with the active development of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (the most powerful iron ore basin in the world), Stary Oskol became a major center of iron and steel industry.

Stary Oskol was declared a city of three top-priority Komsomol construction projects. The largest enterprises: Lebedinsky Mining and Processing Plant, Stoilensky Mining and Processing Plant, Oskolsky Electrometallurgical Plant became not only the city-forming enterprises, but also the largest industrial enterprises of the country. Stary Oskol experienced a new birth.

Today, Stary Oskol is a rapidly developing city, one of the leading mining and metallurgical centers of Russia.

Stary Oskol views

Stary Oskol cityscape

Author: Nikolai Ivanov

The fountain on Friendship Boulevard in Stary Oskol

October movie theater in Stary Oskol

Author: Roman Riapolov

Stary Oskol - Features

The coat of arms of Stary Oskol is a shield divided in half diagonally, in the red field there is a rifle, in the green field - a golden plow. It reflects both military and agricultural importance of the town.

Stary Oskol is among Russian cities with the youngest population. The average age of its citizens is about 35 years. The main reason lies in the history of the city. In the second half of the 20th century, a large number of members of the Young Communist League came to Stary Oskol to participate in the construction of large industrial enterprises.

Unique reserves of iron ore, developed industry and infrastructure, high scientific, technical and industrial potential, fertile land form the basis of Stary Oskol economy.

The main branches of local industry are mining, ferrous metallurgy, machine building and metalworking, building materials, food industry. There are more than 140 large and medium industrial enterprises, which employ more than 80 thousand people.

Attractions of Stary Oskol

The city has more than a dozen Orthodox churches and chapels. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Tokareva Street, 4/1) is the main church of Stary Oskol. St. Trinity Church (Bolshevistskaya Street, 17/15), built in 1730, is the oldest church in the city.

The Zoo was opened in Stary Oskol in 2008. Bears, lions, tigers, monkeys, wolves, camels, ostriches, and other species of birds and animals live there.

Museum of Local Lore (Lenina Street, 50). The museums, founded in 1923, has exhibitions about the history of Stary Oskol. It is located in a building which is a monument of history and culture of the 19th century once owned by the merchants and brothers Likhutins.

The museum organizes tours of the city and the area including visits to an ancient Russian settlement of Kholki, an underground monastery in Melovy mountains, and a biosphere reserve “Yamskaya steppe”.

Art Museum (Lenina Street, 57). The collection of local masters of folk clay toys (O.M.Goncharova and N.M.Goncharova) is a real pearl of the museum. Stary Oskol folk clay toys production was known from the end of the 18th century.

House Museum of Vasily Yeroshenko (Yeroshenko Street, 15). Yeroshenko’s life is a living legend for blind people not only in Russia but also abroad. He encourages disabled people, supports them with his talent, helps them on their ways to improve techniques. Yeroshenko spoke 12 foreign languages and was the professor of universities in Tokyo and Beijing, he became a classic of Japan literature for children.

Stary Oskol city of Russia photos

Pictures of stary oskol.

Byl movie theater in Stary Oskol

Friendship Boulevard in Stary Oskol

The Monument to Soviet-Bulgarian friendship in Stary Oskol

Sights of Stary Oskol

The memorial complex Ataman Forest in Stary Oskol

Cannon monument in Stary Oskol

Church of the Nativity in Stary Oskol

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South Korea abandons plan to suspend licenses of striking doctors to resolve medical impasse

South Korea’s government has announced it will abandon its plan to suspend the licenses of striking junior doctors to resolve the country’s long medical impasse

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s government announced Monday it will abandon its plan to suspend the licenses of striking junior doctors as part of its efforts to convince them to return to work and resolve the country’s monthslong medical impasse.

It wasn’t immediately known whether the thousands of striking doctors would return to their hospitals after the announcement. The government’s concession could also invite accusations of unfairness given its treatment of previous labor strikes and of doctors who have already returned to work.

Health Minister Cho KyooHong said the government has decided not to suspend the licenses of the strikers, who are medical interns and residents, regardless of whether they return to their hospitals or not. He said the government will also offer special measures to returnees to minimize the gap in their training and help them obtain specialist licenses in time.

“After painstaking deliberations, the government has reached this decision based on an assessment that minimizing the medical vacuum in the treatment of emergency and seriously ill patients and maintaining a training system to supply specialists at the right time will serve the public interest more than anything else,” Cho said.

More than 90% of the country’s 13,000 medical interns and residents walked off their jobs in February to protest the government’s plan to sharply boost medical school admissions. The walkout has significantly burdened the operations of university hospitals where they were training and threatened to disrupt South Korea’s medical services.

Some senior doctors and professors at those teaching schools supported the walkout by holding rallies and temporarily walking off their jobs or reducing their working hours.

Officials have said they want to add up to 10,000 doctors by 2035 to cope with the country’s fast-aging population and a shortage of physicians in rural areas and in low-paying yet essential specialties like pediatrics and emergency departments.

Doctors say schools aren’t ready to handle such an abrupt increase in students and that it would ultimately undermine the country’s medical services. But critics argue that physicians, one of the best-paid jobs in South Korea, are mainly worried that having more doctors would lower their future incomes.

The striking doctors suffered a major legal setback after a Seoul court in May ruled in support of the government’s plan. The Supreme Court upheld that ruling in June.

The government later took steps to withdraw its plan to suspend the licenses of doctors who returned to their hospitals but didn’t do so for those who remained off the job. Only a small number of strikers have returned to work. As of last Friday, about 8% of the 13,756 medical interns and residents at about 210 teaching hospitals were working, according to government records.

Government officials earlier threatened to impose three-month license suspensions on striking doctors and even indictments by prosecutors for refusing back-to-work orders. President Yoon Suk Yeol — who has said illegal strikes should be dealt with in line with the law — also called the doctors’ walkout an “illegal collective action.”

The standoff created strife among doctors, with some harassing colleagues who opted not to join or continue the strike, according to local media reports.

Cho, the health minister, said the government was aware of possible criticism over the issue of fairness in its decision not to suspend the licenses of the striking doctors. He said patient groups and some medical officials have called for an early end of the walkout by the striking doctors.

Last month, the government finalized a plan to increase next year’s medical school enrollment by about 1,500, down from its earlier push for a 2,000-student increase. The current medical student enrollment cap has been unchanged at 3,058 since 2006, with doctors blocking previous government attempts to raise it with vehement protests.