Manage risks during pharmaceutical transport

Maintaining the quality and integrity of medical and biological products during transport is critical for pharmaceutical manufacturers and logistics providers for public health and patient safety.

As most medical and biological products require a temperature controlled environment at all stages of manufacturing and distribution, the control of storage and transportation temperatures is vital in maintaining the quality and effectiveness of medicines.

At Thermo King we understand that if the quality of pharmaceutical product shipments is compromised, the risk is more than loss of cargo – it can compromise the health and well-being of patients. TK PharmaSolutions, a comprehensive and dedicated expertise platform from Thermo King, addresses the precise needs of the pharmaceutical industry by delivering applications know-how and a broad spectrum of services.

Industry statistics indicate that:
  • 25% of vaccines reach their destination in a degraded state because of incorrect shipping.
  • Almost 30% of scrapped sales at pharmaceutical companies can be attributed to logistics issues.
  • Almost 20% of temperature-sensitive health care products are damaged during transport due to a broken cold chain.
  • Approximately 0.5% of transported goods are damaged during transport through non-compliance to temperature guidelines.

Source: World Health Organization (WHO), Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and other industry estimates

What is Good Distribution Practice (GDP) for pharmaceutical products?

The objective of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines is to ensure that the high level of product quality, determined by good manufacturing practices, is maintained throughout the distribution chain. This extends beyond the transport vehicles used to take pharmaceuticals (such as APIs) and medical components from the manufacturing facility to distributors and wholesalers. It must also ensure compliant delivery to hospitals and pharmacies.

It is mandatory for distributors to comply with the European Union guidelines on good distribution practice of medicinal products for human use.

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