International Medical Corps
Winner Lynn C. Fritz Medal for Excellence in Humanitarian Logistics 2023
With its internally developed software “Pharmaceutical Information Management System” (PIMS), the Los Angeles-based organization International Medical Corps started a revolution in the management of the last mile in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Humanitarian organizations, pharmacies, governments and, most importantly, patients benefit from the IT deployment, which brings great time savings and deep transparency to the supply chain in disaster areas.
| Sector | Humanitarian Logistics |
| Country | USA |
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Merits
- With the software development, International Medical Corps solved a key problem for all humanitarian organizations: documenting and managing procurement, tracking and dispensing of medicines on paper. Because existing tools were too expensive or not suitable for use in disaster relief areas, in 2018 an interdisciplinary team developed the digital tool using a bottom-up approach.
- Because PIMS enables efficient data collection and timely, flexible reporting, the use of the software increases process transparency for physicians, supply chain managers, health authorities and funders. It gives physicians more time to focus on their core competency of patient care.
- PIMS also helps users with quantification, pharmacovigilance and utilization review of medicines. Another benefit is the fact that the tool can be easily adapted to any language and requires neither a permanent Internet connection nor a constant power supply.
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Profile
- International Medical Corps is active in some 30 countries worldwide, providing medical aid and training to people affected by conflict, disaster and disease. At the same time, it lays the foundation for sustainable development in crisis regions.
- The organization’s programs are funded by both public and private sources. Funders include the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), and a number of corporations and foundations.
- The organization is based in Los Angeles and has offices in Washington, D.C., USA; London, UK; and Split, Croatia. International Medical Corps employs more than 8,000 people and has provided more than $4.2 billion worth of aid in some 80 countries since its founding in 1984
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Magazine
