How to Choose a Medical Imaging Courier

Every night is a new emergency, usually with some romance thrown in to spice things up – but what they don’t show you on TV hospital dramas are the everyday, essential realities of the medical sector. Specifically, how important it is to get your supplies into the clinic, and your samples out, with the greatest possible speed and reliability.

If you’re in medicine, you know how important logistics are; fast, reliable deliveries – though perhaps not as exciting as George Clooney’s hair – can literally save lives. Here’s how to choose the best possible medical courier service.

Review Your Shipping and Mailing Needs

While an e-commerce site can go bust if they don’t get the lowest possible shipping prices, the medical establishment has very different needs, and it’s important to keep this in mind when comparing couriers. After all, many courier companies offer low prices, but price typically isn’t the primary concern when it comes to delivering biological samples; speed and reliability are far more important.

Review your hospital’s shipping patterns so you can compare apples with apples when looking at courier reviews. A great way to choose a courier, suggests a recent slideshare article, is to get recommendations from other medical clinics in your area and find out what (type of) shipping service they are using.

Investigate Local Couriers

When looking into courier services, there are several areas that must be studied. Ask these questions first to save time, money and hassle later.

• Resources: does the courier company have adequate warehouse space if needed…a fleet of well-outfitted vehicles…experienced personnel who are trained in the proper biohazard handling procedures?
• Tracking: does the courier company offer online tracking so you can always see the status of your outbound shipments?
• Insurance: will your parcels be covered against theft, loss or damage? Is the maximum liability amount sufficient for your cargo? What about service guarantees?
• References: this part of the selection process is often overlooked in this era of slick online marketing, but the best testimonials come from a delivery service’s satisfied customers, not from the company itself. Ask past and current clientele what the courier’s customer service is really like.

Enter into a Short Term Agreement

The last thing you want is to be locked down into a long term agreement – at least not until you’re sure you have retained the very best delivery service for your clinic. It’s okay to let your courier know that you’re going to give them business on a trial basis and then add more volume once you’ve experienced their services firsthand.

One caveat: many courier companies offer discounts for frequency and volume, so if you choose to hold a portion of your business back, you risk higher prices initially.

According to a UK infographic, the courier industry is growing all the time, so there is no shortage of choice of medical couriers out there. A little due diligence up front will pay huge dividends for your clinic.

Looking for a Reliable Medical Courier Service?

At Power Link Expedite, we assist countless businesses achieve their needs through our state-of-the-art technology, experienced drivers, and high quality customer service.  For over 15 years, we have shipped items large and small across the GTA, Canada and to the US.

Contact us today for more information about our medical courier services.