OPENING VIGNETTE: Magpie Sensing Employs Analytics to Manage a Vaccine Supply Chain Effectively and Safely 1.1 Cold chain in healthcare is defi ing a system of transporting and storing vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs. It consists of three major components-transport and storage equipment, trained personnel, and efficient management procedures. The majority of the vaccines in the cold chain are typically maintained at a temperature of 35-46 degrees Fahrenheit (2-8 degrees Centigrade). Maintaining cold chain integrity is extremely important for healthcare product manufacturers. ned as the temperature-controlled supply chain involv- Especially for vaccines, improper storage and handling practices that compromise vaccine viability prove to be a costly, time-consuming affair. Vaccines must be stored properly from manufacture until they are available for use. Any extreme temperatures of heat or cold will reduce the vaccine potency; such vaccines, if administered, might not yield effective results or could cause adverse effects. Effectively maintaining the temperatures of the storage units throughout the healthcare supply chain in real time (i.e., beginning from the gathering of the resources, manufactur- ing, distribution, and dispensing of the products) is the most effective solution desired in the cold chain. The location-tagged real-time environmental data about the storage units help in monitoring the cold chain for the spoiled products. The chain of custody can be easily identified to assign product liability A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at the handling of cold chain vaccines by 45 healthcare providers around United States. The CDC reported that three-quarters of the providers experienced serious cold chain violations. A WAY TOWARD A POSSIBLE SOLUTION Magpie Sensing, a start-up project under Ebers Smith and Douglas Associated LLC., provides a suite of cold chain monitoring and analysis technologies for the healthcare industry. It is a shippable, wireless temperature and humidity monitor that provides real- time, location-aware tracking of the cold chain products during the shipment. Magpie Sensing's solutions rely on rich analytics algorithms that leverage the data gathered from the monitoring devices to improve the efficiency of cold chain processes and predict cold storage problems before they occur. Magpie Sensing applies all three types of analytical techniques-descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics-to turn the raw data returned from the monitoring devices into actionable recommendations and warnings. The properties of the cold storage system, which include the set point of the storage system's thermostat, the typical range of temperature values in the storage system, and the duty cycle of the system's compressor, are monitored and reported in real time. This information helps trained personnel ensure that the storage unit is properly configured to
