By
Bill Kraemer ,
Fleet Logistics Manager, Jubilant Radiopharma
When you work for Jubilant Radiopharma you learn to be prepared when the inevitable questions come up: “Where do you work?” and “What do you do?” While a scientific explanation of the diagnostic value of radioactive isotopes may be fascinating to some, it’s a little over-complicated when responding to someone you’ve met in an elevator or are sitting next to in the stands at a little league game.
Usually when I’m asked about my company — after I explain that we are a national network of specialized pharmacies that compound radioactive drugs for the nuclear medicine industry, and before their eyes glaze over — I add this: “Think of us as the pizza delivery service of the healthcare industry. Our pharmacists prepare ‘hot products’ that our fleet of drivers deliver quickly and efficiently to our customers, so they can be used while they are still warm.”
Jubilant Radiopharma has more than 400 drivers on our staff. The role they play is critical to our success, and to our customers’ success, each and every day. Along with our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, they report to work well before daybreak to help ensure that doses are delivered at the right time, to the right place and for the right patient.
The vast majority of Jubilant Radiopharma drivers are permanent members of our team. We invest in their training and professional development on an ongoing basis. Before ever running their first route, drivers are trained and tested in areas including HIPAA compliance, ALARA standards, vehicular safety, and a host of other specialized courses essential to their job and our industry.
Undoubtedly, our drivers are best known for the deliveries that they make…and for their bright blue shirts. More than anyone, we rely on this team as the “face” of Jubilant Radiopharma. These are the people that our customers see two or three times a day, every day. They help us manage the customer experience, and we depend on them to represent our company professionally, respectfully and courteously. Those relationships are especially important to keeping abreast of customer needs, as the drivers report feedback and alert us to questions, issues and concerns.
When they are not on the road, many of our drivers are also essential to pharmacy operations. While the pharmacists and technicians compound doses, our drivers perform much of the lab work. They are trained in the proper methods to clean “pigs”, cap and wrap doses, and perform many other cleaning and maintenance tasks inside and outside of our buildings. They also perform daily and weekly vehicle safety inspections, helping keep themselves and everyone else on the road safe.
Just like Dominoes or Papa John’s, Jubilant Radiopharma's service would not be complete without our drivers. Of course, the difference is that, rather than pepperoni and anchovies, our drivers are relied upon to deliver the vital, life-saving radiopharmaceutical products that your business depends upon at all hours of the day. No tip necessary!