MiPharma, Barcelona, & BIG
After more than two years of living in various stages of lockdown and quarantine, one would expect that a gathering of like-minded professionals who are all dedicated to the complicated logistics of pharmaceuticals – a passion and industry that’s come under renewed interest during the aforementioned pandemic – would be a jam-packed, whirlwind weekend of networking, reconnection, and friendship; they’re right. At the MiPharma Conference in Barcelona, Spain, the worldwide partnership came together to discuss the pandemic, the future needs of the pharmaceutical industry, and the myriad complications that our industry has faced over the past few years, and Lara Fosnight was there to represent BIG Logistics.
“For a few weeks prior to the start of the conference, our clients could schedule meetings with us. Each person had 40 appointments per day, each for 15 minutes with no breaks between meetings and I still ran out. People were tapping me on the shoulder during the morning presentations to talk to me in the hall. I talked during coffee breaks and meal breaks making sure everyone who wanted my attention was able to have it. It was like speed dating!” of the 91 attendees, Lara predicts she spoke to all of them at some point during the event.
“The US is the popular kid anyway, so when you add that we won the MiPharma Award for the Best Pharma Partner in the Americas, we were riding a tidal wave of camaraderie,” Lara says. “It’s not an award from Mi Pharma; rather it’s our peers who vote based on price, payment, services, accuracy, invoicing, and the scope of our service. It’s an incredible honor to have.”
Part of that honor comes from being a member of the MiPharma community and getting to work with experienced and passionate associates who understand the complex and critical nature of pharmaceutical logistics. Being dedicated to the health and safety of the public weaves a thread of duty across our network and reinforces the mission we undertake to deliver medications to the globe, even when we’re not in a pandemic.
“It was a whirlwind,” Lara continues. “We were part of a breakaway session with five other companies talking about Smartbox technology – an emerging option that will soon be available – and it’s riveting to watch the metamorphosis from idea to concept to development. You could see in that session how the future will unfold for logistics.”
While knowing where the future will go is important, the reason we attend these meetings is the old adage that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And with pharmaceuticals, there’s no space for a weak link. We must depend on each other, share information, learn from each other, and support the industry to continue helping save lives and protect the people who need our shipments around the world.
If you’re interested in the BIG Logistics suite of pharmaceutical services, Lara is ready to advocate and advise on your behalf. Reach out to your BIG Logistics representative for more information.
