Pharmaceutical transportation
If ocean shipping is not a sufficiently challenging process, try to imagine pharmaceutical shipping. We are talking about the logistics of drugs, pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, etc. Not only do these need to be kept at extremely precise temperatures, any issues in shipping can result in huge financial losses or worse, without potentially saving a life.
Logistics companies are often under enormous pressure to deliver medicines under high demand. These typically include zero damage, zero lateness and the possibility of track and trace.
To maintain accurate temperatures during transport, companies often use special equipment, including cryogenic containers, dry ice, thermal blankets, and insulating packaging. Sometimes temperature sensors are also included to monitor the temperature of the product throughout shipping.
But, of course, it never goes as smoothly as it looks in transit, and it's always a good idea to have extra resources on hand. In the event of delays such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections or other unexpected setbacks, further steps may be required.
Here are six interesting facts about pharmaceutical shipping.
- Medicines need to be kept at precise temperatures to maintain their efficacy. These include the flu shot and insulin.
- Pallet insulation blankets can be used to protect from sunlight, humidity, etc. It maintains a constant temperature range around 15°C to 25°C.
- 7 out of 10 leading pharmaceutical products require temperature-controlled shipping.
- Biological materials (e.g. blood, tissue, reproductive material) and clinical trials need to be stored in cryogenic containers that can be kept at -150°C for at least 10 days.
- A temperature change of as little as 2°C can completely destroy a drug product.
- Pharmaceutical companies lose an average of $150,000 per small package shipped due to cooler temperatures. For larger shipments, this can cost millions of dollars.
