Reframe Pharma Last Mile as the First Moment of Care: From Outdated Systems to Delivery Intelligence

By Jay McHarg, CEO, AeroSafe Global

Pharmaceutical manufacturers carry an extraordinary responsibility: ensuring life-saving therapies arrive safely, reliably, and on time to patients who depend on them. That responsibility has never been greater than it is today. Specialty therapies are more advanced, more fragile, and more critical than ever before. Yet the distribution systems responsible for protecting and delivering these therapies were built on assumptions and technologies that belong to a different era.

The result is a widening gap between the demands of modern medicine and the capabilities of legacy supply chains. This gap creates inefficiencies, introduces risk, drives hidden costs, and—most importantly—jeopardizes patient access.

It’s time for a new model.

Challenge 1: Outdated Systems, Outdated Results

Many existing distribution systems were designed for a different era of healthcare.

• Cold chain packaging technology that hasn’t meaningfully changed in 70 years still dominates, often providing only 24 to 48 hours of protection.

• Assumptions about flawless next-day delivery remain, despite the realities of variability and disruption.

• Return logistics was difficult, costly and impractical.

These limitations and assumptions do not hold true anymore and existing inherited systems were never built to handle the demand, unpredictability, and immense value of today’s specialty therapies. The result is inefficiency, unsustainable waste, and reduced patient access.

The Path Forward: Integrated Delivery Systems

Forward-thinking supply chain leaders are shifting toward Integrated Delivery Systems—models that view packaging, logistics, and operations not as silos but as interdependent partners. By building on these interdependencies, they create stronger, more resilient delivery models.

Advanced technology provides longer protection and real-time visibility, while coordinated collaboration ensures every stakeholder is aligned on delivery outcomes rather than vendor-level metrics.

This integrated approach transforms the last mile from a traditional cost center into a strategic strength that delivers reliability, sustainability, and patient trust.

Challenge 2: Measuring Success with the Wrong Metrics

Even when systems are modernized, the wrong metrics often define success. Too often, performance is judged by packaging cost per shipment or logistics efficiency in isolation. These siloed measures mean delivery failures may not be recognized until a provider re-orders—a reactive model that fails patients. There must be a shift in three ways:

• Redefine success from cost efficiency to patient delivery outcomes.

• Move beyond passive shipment tracking to active delivery engagement.

• Embrace continuous collaboration by ensuring delivery partners remain actively involved, providing targeted improvements rather than isolated services.

Reframing the Last Mile as the First Moment of Patient Care

The solution is to reframe success around patient-focused delivery outcomes of on-time, at-temp and customer acceptance of deliveries.

With AeroSafe’s Delivery Intelligence, live dashboards offer visibility into every shipment’s location, timing, and thermal compliance. At-risk deliveries are flagged early and managed proactively.

Identifying system limitations through continuous root-cause analysis to then implement targeted improvements across packaging, logistics, and operations is driven through TRIP, or AeroSafe’s Targeted Risk Improvement Program.

The result is a last mile that is not reactive but predictive, not fragmented but integrated, and not focused on costs alone but on outcomes that matter most to patients.

Closing Thought: Investing in the Last Mile

The last mile as an investment, not just an expense. When reliability is strengthened, hidden costs are reduced, customer satisfaction improves, sustainability advances, and brand trust deepens.

Reframing the last mile as the first moment of patient care changes everything. By adopting Integrated Delivery Systems and leveraging Delivery Intelligence, pharma can evolve beyond outdated systems, measure success by what truly matters, and invest in reliability that benefits patients, providers, and the industry at large.

The therapies of today—and tomorrow—demand nothing less.

Connect with AeroSafe to continue the conversation.