How a digital lockbox solution eliminates critical supply chain errors
All supply chains have items that need to be picked up and delivered in a timely manner. Some carry additional needs for real-time visibility of locations and conditions of products in transit. A select few also require end-to-end accountability in order to prevent critical errors and save lives.
The supply chain for medical specimens has all of these requirements and more. In the United States alone, more than 13 billion laboratory tests are conducted every year on blood and tissue samples. The results from these tests account for about two-thirds of all diagnoses.
The logistics of collecting and transporting samples from clinics to laboratories directly impact people’s lives. Advanced digital tools can give clinics and their lab logistics partners accurate, end-to-end visibility of pickups, deliveries and total accountability.
Accounting for specimens
Accountability begins with limiting human access to the sample collection boxes. This can be accomplished with an on-demand digital lockbox solution that limits access to only the practitioner who is taking the sample and the assigned collector for each site.
BoxLock is a smart Internet of Things (IoT) software solution that secures the samples and limits the access to authorized personnel. The patented technology consists of a tamper-resistant device that immediately recognizes when an item is scanned and placed in the specimen collection box.
When an authorized person puts a specimen in the lab box, BoxLock informs the lab logistics company that a collection is ready for pickup to ensure maximum security and efficiency.
Upon arriving at a location that contains samples, the driver for the lab logistics company opens the lockbox with a unique QR code that is assigned to the individual who scans the specimens.
The scanning provides immediate visibility to the status of the individual items in the specimen lockboxes as they are being picked up. The chain of custody is assured by granular audit logs that include date and time stamps that cannot be disputed.
The lab uses a secure management portal, BoxLock Control, for real-time reporting and logging of data as well as immediate pick-up and delivery alerts and notifications. The BoxLock solution gives lab logistics companies a robust auditing process to ensure that all specimens that were available for pick up were collected, delivered and properly accounted for.
The auditing process also increases efficiency by eliminating phone calls, emails and faxes by clinic personnel and lab logistics partners to track down lost, misplaced or uncollected shipments.
A problem-proof supply chain
InterPath Laboratory, Inc. had been searching for digital tools to problem-proof its supply chain. The Pendleton, Oregon-based company has a fully integrated logistics network and its own fleet of drivers to provide a full range of diagnostic services to clinics, hospitals and physician practices in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Alaska.
The company wanted to secure every sample and have an automated chain-of-custody process with real-time visibility and auditing. InterPath’s executives realized that BoxLock was capable of delivering this end-to-end solution and started an initial program in the Fall of 2020.
BoxLock units have been integrated into a number of InterPath lab locations. With BoxLock, Interpath has gained visibility of clinic locations on routes with samples ready for pickup. Upon arrival, each InterPath driver and clinic facility has a unique QR code to facilitate tracking, date and time stamping.
When drivers open the lockboxes with a QR code on their ID badges and scan the specimens their actions are instantly logged into the InterPath system that is managed by BoxLock. This creates an immutable record of the transactions for auditing purposes.
To learn more about how BoxLock’s software and hardware solutions can improve the security and efficiency of Lab Logistics companies, visit: https://www.getboxlock.com/lab-logistics