Cold Chain Shipping for Pharmaceuticals

The global pharmaceutical market is truly enormous, and the United States alone accounts for 45% of its market value. Total annual spending on drug therapies weighs in at $371 billion per year, and the market is expected to hit a value of $1.12 trillion by the year 2022. But great care has to be taken to keep this vital industry strong and running smoothly, and that includes using expert method to produce, store, and package pharmaceutical items of all kinds. Often, cold chain shipping solutions, vaccine fridges and freezers, and biostorage ar needed so that biological materials stay in good shape until used. Take note that biological materials range from blood to tissue, reproductive material, and clinical trials that must be stored in cryogenic chambers. Often, these chambers can store items at a temperature of 150 degrees Celsius for 10 days or more. But what about shipping and transport? It is vital to have proper cold chain shipping solutions in place.

Pharmaceutical Storage and Transport Done Right

How should pharmaceutical goods be delivered, such as going from a research lab to a warehouse or to an urgent care center’s or hospital’s pharmacy? Bear in mind that seven out of 10 leading pharma products need temperature-controlled transport, and this calls for specialized storage containers and trucks. Often, semi trucks and similar vehicles on the road can make these deliveries, and if something needs to be transported very fast to a remote location, it is time to make use of a freight carrier jet. For example, pharma products can be shipped to Hawaii or Alaska by air.

Pharmaceutical good such as vaccines, blood and tissue samples, and liquids need temperature control methods so they are not exposed to unsafe temperature spikes that would compromise them. An ordinary truck trailer, or cardboard boxes, would fall short of these needs, especially in warmer weather. Refrigerated containers are standard fare for cold chain shipping solutions, and they can be bolstered with additional products such as foil rolls and drums or totes. For example, imagine a pallet that is loaded with boxes and containers of delicate pharma goods that are about to be transported by truck. To protect the pharma goods and provide top notch cold chain shipping solutions, carrier crews can use quilted blankets and covers that envelope the entire pallet load at once. This can greatly reduce spikes or dips in temperature, and reduce the interference of moisture or even sunlight. In short, the contents are insulated from as many outside factors as possible during transit and when they are being unloaded. Disposable bubble foil can be used on smaller, single packages on a tote at convenience.

When a shipping client needs to deliver pharmaceutical goods by truck or plane, that client’s managers can reach out to shipping brokers to find carrier companies that offer expert service for goods like these. Before anything is loaded onto a truck, the clients may ask for shipping rate quotes and find out what sort of protective gear and items can be used for transport. A good carrier company will do its best to strike a balance between the speed of transit and the level of care provided for the products. Being excessively cautious may result in the truck arriving late, and if the delivery is rushed and the packaging is sloppy, the products may be compromised. The goods should be handled carefully and delivered as quickly as practical.

The shipping clients want their goods delivered on time, and they can ask for transit status updates from the carrier firm. GPS systems inside the trucks or planes make tracking easy, not to mention how the vehicle’s driver can report in at certain checkpoints along the route. In this way, the carrier can provide transit updates to the shipper and make estimates on delivery time. And if a delay or problem comes up, the shipper will be told about that, too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *