IN THIS ISSUE

摘要

Today's financial crisis has placed health care cost reduction at the forefront of economic recovery discussions. This special topic forum examines the critical role of the health sector supply chain-hospitals, group purchasing organizations, distributors, and manufacturers (medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies)-in the delivery of high-quality, low-cost health care services. In its most basic form, the health sector supply chain involves all of the activities and decisions made to move a product from the manufacturer to the patient's bedside. Compared to other industries, the health sector supply chain's functions and capabilities are more dispersed across intermediaries at different levels in the supply chain and often involve the delivery of both products and information services. Despite the potential benefits of supply chain integration, the dynamic nature of the health sector may not lend itself to the success of supply chain strategies in other industries.