What do we do? The facts
As a full line wholesaler, we assemble 4.5 million hospital lines every year from 11 nationwide MHRA approved distribution branches.
We have the expertise to quickly and safely distribute:
- Branded prescription pharmaceuticals, generics and critical drugs
- Products requiring special handling, specific temperature storage and controlled storage
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Forty-five minutes, that’s all it takes to process orders and prepare them for dispatch.
All thanks to the state-of-the art processing system at the heart of our logistics network.
Our strategic, UK-wide distribution network is committed to helping customers reduce the number of suppliers they have to use, as well as stockholding costs. A twice-daily delivery service provides a fast, efficient facility, with orders received before the cut-off at lunch time typically delivered before 4pm the same day.
Similarly, orders placed in the afternoon before the close of business will be delivered the following morning.
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Ideally placed in the UK, locally to our customers.
Our reach extends to every corner of the country including Northern Ireland. With a UK-wide logistics network, we’re easily accessible from all areas of the country. This means we can offer every hospital pharmacy an excellent 24 hours 365 day delivery service usually twice daily and are there when you need us in an emergency.
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Caring for our customers, personally - real people answering the phone providing an instant response.
We have a nationwide network made up of committed professionals working to ensure smooth, beneficial relationships with customers to provide a fast and responsive service.
Operating from our Coventry HQ, eleven distribution branches and our field based teams across the country, we’re an accessible team which values and supports its customers, business partners and its people.
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We’re with you every step of the way – delivering information essential to customer’s operational needs.
We believe in keeping the lines of communication open, letting our manufacturers, suppliers and customers know what’s happening at every stage of our working relationships. Its an important part of the way we work, and we believe it benefits everybody. Our manufacturers, suppliers and customers can expect:
- Full and comprehensive management information provided on a monthly basis
- Weekly and even daily sales updates on new products
- Continuous file management
- Liaison with manufacturers to provide up to date product availability information
- Notification of process changes, new products and product withdrawals
- Information exchanged quickly and with clarity
- Introduction of the Medecator, AAH-Point and Supplier
- Point systems to improve communication throughout the supply chain
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Smooth talking doesn’t (normally) delivery results. We use the latest technology to deliver the most efficient processes in the industry.
Our in-depth knowledge enables us to identify and explore new technological opportunities. This makes it possible for us to stay at the forefront of the hospital service industry by advancing in supply chain management and investing in the very latest technological advances.
Medecator -- a web based order management information system, able to streamline work processes with ongoing enhancements to benefit the end-user
Click here for more information on Medecator
AAH Point -- an extranet information and ordering portal for hospital pharmacies
Supplier Point -- a website developed to allow AAH to interact with its supplier base
If you are a Supplier and you have a log-in name and password click here to access the Supplier Point website http://www.supplier-point.com/. If you are a Supplier and wish to register on Supplier Point please contact the Help Desk on 0870 8502266
“Electronic invoicing with Medecator and Ascribe has reduced the amount of time spent manually inputting data and matching invoices by 60%. This time is now spent on other activities within the department”
Marian Allen
Associate Director of Pharmacy Purchasing & Distribution
Kings College Hospital
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We offer a comprehensive professional contract price management service to our manufacturers and confidentially manage in excess of 65,000 contracts on behalf of client manufacturers. Whether these contracts are local, regional or national they are controlled by our dedicated and experienced team, centrally located in Coventry. This means that you spend less time worrying about pricing and more time on patient care.
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When you order a certain product, you expect it to be delivered. When this doesn’t happen, you want to know why. Often these products are classified as MCS by AAH, below we explain the reasons behind the use of this terminology.
We provide on-line access to current information about products the Manufacturer Cannot Supply (MCS).
Medecator and AAH Point are both on-line systems that provide an MCS facility where customers can find all current MCS items just by following a few clicks. To find out more please contact your Hospital Account Manager.
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Click on the question you wish to jump to:
What is MCS?
When is the MCS marker applied?
When do you use Regret No Stock?
Don’t you just use MCS as an excuse?
Why can’t you just hold more stock?
Why do some Wholesalers show MCS yet others have stock?
Why does MCS seem to be getting worse?
What are you doing to reduce MCS?
Why can’t you just use a different manufacturer?
What is MCS?
MCS is the abbreviation for Manufacturer Cannot Supply. We use this classification to distinguish products that have been ordered from a supplier but were not delivered on the expected delivery to two or more AAH depots.
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When is the MCS marker applied?
If an out of stock product meets the MCS criteria (above) then all subsequent requests for the product will be met with the reply that it is MCS. This information is available throughout our systems and is flagged up on the Customer Service order taking screens against individual products. In addition, this annotation will be printed on invoices / delivery notes and sent back as part of the reply set to any order taken electronically.
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When do you use Regret No Stock?
Regret No Stock is the default terminology given to any out of stock product, which has not met the quoted MCS criteria. This could be for a number of reasons but normally relates to a short term local out of stock issue.
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Don’t you just use MCS as an excuse?
No, we truly believe in being open and honest with our customers; keeping you informed with accurate, up-to-date information. The MCS marker is system generated based on receipts at our local Goods In departments. It is not in our interest to manipulate this marker, as the clear identification of a product’s status helps focus our activity where we can have an impact.
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Why can’t you just hold more stock?
Just like any successful business, AAH needs to carefully manage its working capital, a large part of which is tied up in stock levels, but this does not mean that we have cut our stock levels to the bone. At any given time there is only a finite level of stock within the Supply Chain, which is in direct correlation to historical / expected demand patterns.
This knowledge of demand leads to an extremely well run Supply Chain, however it also means that when a manufacturing issue occurs then this restricts the flow of product at source. In the minority of cases, this will lead to temporary disruption in the supply of product to the Hospital. For instance, you might be surprised to learn that only 30 - 40 products, out of our range of c.27,000, generally make up about 70% of our MCS figure. In these cases holding more stock may only have delayed the inevitable.
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Why do some Wholesalers show MCS yet others have stock?
Not all branches run out of stock at the same time because of different demand patterns and delivery days. In addition, as Manufacturers are not always able to deliver to all branches on the same day, this leads to some branches being replenished before others. When this happens, we always request an emergency delivery from the supplier to replenish stock in all MCS branches.
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Why does MCS seem to be getting worse?
Economic pressures have meant that many manufacturers have consolidated their manufacturing units on a global basis. Whereas before they had several plants that could make a product, now they may only have one. This significantly reduces their flexibility. In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of mergers in the pharmaceutical industry. Normally as a consequence of mergers, new operating systems are introduced, which can often result in the supply chain being disrupted.
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What are you doing to reduce MCS?
At AAH, we do everything in our power to reduce the instances of MCS.
- We always try to provide accurate demand forecasts
- We adhere to regular ordering patterns
- We provide regular feedback on out-of-stock items
- We request likely stock delivery schedules and communicate these with you
- We have invested heavily in a Stock Issues Management System
Unfortunately, we cannot dictate to a manufacturer what they should produce and when they should produce it. But rest assured we do everything we can to ensure that you receive what you’ve ordered when you’ve ordered it. If there are any problems, we attempt, through the Stock Issues Management System, to identify the reasons why and communicate this with expected delivery dates.
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Why can’t you just use a different manufacturer?
This is not always possible as more than 60% of the lines we sell are branded products, which have no direct generic equivalent. Where an equivalent exists, we would increase our purchases of this line in line with market demand.
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