Delicate Medical Courier Jobs
Posted by Frank Nolan on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Under: Medical Couriers
Not just any courier company can take on medical courier jobs; these are delicate tasks that can only be handled by people who have undergone some special training, not to mention special equipment. However, serving the medical industry can mean lucrative fees and regular business, which is why it is worth the effort. Here is an overview of what it takes to serve this highly demanding sector.
Highly Trained Delivery Drivers
There are stringent requirements regarding the delivery drivers or personnel that have the responsibility of handling medical courier jobs. This is so because there are certain delicate aspects of handling medical items. For instance, medical records are absolutely confidential; untrained drivers may not be aware of these rules and end up 'blabbing' about their famous celebrity who received a medical package at this or that hospital. Moreover, medical specimens are usually fragile and they require careful handling. That's why delivery personnel must have undergone some special training that enables them to know how exactly to handle particular items - from medicine to frozen human organs to highly contagious pathogens. Depending on the country or state, there is a compulsory annual training course for courier drivers specialising in medical-related deliveries.
Proper Vehicles
Medical courier jobs cannot be handled using regular delivery vans. Depending on the nature of the delivery, the vehicle must be outfitted with certain equipment or appliances. For instance, if you're making a time-sensitive delivery of blood-borne pathogens, a specific container must be used in transporting such a delicate cargo. The container is designed to avoid contamination, protect the item from damage or compromise to its stability, and also to maintain the correctly prescribed temperature. The delivery vehicle should also be equipped with what is called a 'spill kit'-a set of tools and materials used in the quick management of an accidental spillage, which may include rubber gloves and plastic bags. Drivers assigned to this task, however, are more concerned about avoiding a spill as much as possible than about cleaning it afterwards.
Knowledge of Medical Procedures
If normal courier jobs require on-time delivery, then serving the medical sector is notches higher in terms of strictness in procedure. This arises from the nature of most medical situations. For example, there are cases where a delivery will require the driver to call the clinic exactly ten minutes before arriving; if that sounds easy on paper, imagine fulfilling that while you're on the road negotiating traffic. Arrive too early and you compromise the stability of the specimen; arrive a little late and you might end up exceeding the window of the specimen's viability. Until the driver calls, the medical staff will wait before processing the specimen or drawing the blood sample. Likewise, the amount of time from pick-up to delivery to the laboratory is critical. These stringent requirements are what couriers working in the medical field face every day, and only after you have made the requisite preparation can you qualify to take on the delivery tasks.
In : Medical Couriers
Tags: medical courier warrington