The global pharmaceutical cold chain logistics industry is vast and complex, calling for careful handling procedures, specific transport equipment, and adherence to regulatory compliance.
With the rising demand for pharmaceuticals to combat the increasing number of chronic and lifestyle-related diseases, there has been growing pressure for the supply of medicines such as vitamins, minerals, cough and cold drugs, and gastrointestinal, dermatology products, etc.
The pharmaceutical industry is responding to the growing demand by increasing its product supply. And many of the supplies require temperature-controlled transportation under the proper cold chain supply chain.
The Mammoth Size of Pharmaceutical Industry
Pharmaceuticals are a vast industry, and global trade happens on a massive scale. According to the estimates, the global pharmaceutical industry will grow to USD 1.6tn by 2024 from over USD 1.25tn in 2019.
The principal growth drivers to the industry are the aging populations and new drugs to treat rare and specialty diseases.
When it comes to the industry’s revenue, North America and Europe account for the lion’s global revenue share.
At the same time, Asia is catching up fast, with India and China gaining importance in the global circuit in the supply of raw materials and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).
Pharmaceuticals Involved in Global Trade
When it comes to the global pharmaceutical trade, a vast range of products get exported and imported around the world every day, such as:
- Biologics–vaccines, blood, allergens, genes, tissues, etc.
- Prescribed drugs– opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, etc.
- Over-the-Counter medicines–vitamins, minerals, supplements, common cough, cold drugs, dermatology products, etc.
- Raw materials and bulk pharmaceuticals–chemical compounds, APIs, etc.
There are mainly three forms of pharmaceuticals, which are:
- Liquid–spirits, elixirs and tinctures
- Ointments–creams, pastes, and jellies
- Solids–pills, tablets, lozenges, and suppositories
Regardless of the form, manufacturers should label and package pharmaceutical items correctly and securely.
Many pharmaceuticals are delicate substances and are sensitive to sunlight, humidity, and temperature changes; hence they require careful handling and necessitate a cold supply chain. Some pharmaceuticals require an ultracold freezer for staying potent.
Pharmaceutical Transport Mechanisms
Manufacturers transport pharmaceuticals in a variety of ways. Airfreight is a preferred medium for delivering urgent or just-in-time orders. But, most of the transportations go as ocean freight. There can be many situations where pharmaceuticals need to be transported quickly, yet many manufacturers prefer delivering most of their products by the sea route.
But, the trend of air transportation is gradually decreasing mainly due to the high cost. Usually, ocean transportation is cheaper than air transportation.
Transportation of pharmaceutical products should be free of temperature excursions, temperature movements beyond the prescribed range. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a temperature excursion is an event in which a Time Temperature-Sensitive Pharmaceutical Product (TTSPP) gets exposed to temperatures outside the prescribed range for storage or transport.
Why Do Cold Chain Logistics to the Pharmaceutical Industry?
Preventing temperature excursions is crucial to pharmaceutical companies because many pharmaceutical products are temperature sensitive and require temperature-controlled storage and a cold supply chain to maintain the potency of the products.
The cold chain logistics segment is increasing due to the growing demand for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products. Many advanced therapies have come into existence that are sensitive to temperature changes and require a cold supply chain during transportation.
Moreover, cold chain technology has undergone upgrades with temperature sensors, data loggers, telematics, and cloud computing solutions to monitor the temperature in real-time. It is a critical safety aspect of the cold chain supply chain to the pharmaceutical industry.
The Challenges
The necessity of keeping temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals within their prescribed temperature ranges throughout their journey has brought many challenges. The onus of handling the associated challenges falls on the transporters, who should use the latest technology to maintain the requisite temperature.
The wrong temperature can affect pharmaceuticals in many ways. They can become less effective or even damaged. In some cases, they can also become toxic. Some pharmaceuticals are sensitive to low temperatures, and such items will lose their therapeutic properties if exposed to freezing temperatures.
The significance of transporting pharmaceuticals at the right temperature range lies in its implication to people’s health. Transporting at the wrong temperature can compromise the items, which will negatively impact people who consume them.
Transporters should shi[ pharmaceutical products in the following ways to preserve their potency:
Chilled
Chilled temperature ranges from 2 to 8 degrees C. Pharmaceutical products requiring a chilling temperature must not freeze or get too warm during transit to avoid getting damaged or compromised.
Frozen
Frozen temperatures correspond to temperatures less than -15 degrees C. Such temperatures are necessary for storing some pharmaceutical products, such as vaccines, organs, and tissues. Some of such products, if thawed and refrozen, can be difficult to detect. So, such products need to be assessed in a laboratory if there is any confusion.
Temperature-Sensitive Containers
With the existing regulatory environment, advanced temperature-sensitive therapeutics, and the growth in specialized logistic companies, there has been a steady increase in the production of temperature-controlled containers.
Transporters ship their chilled or frozen pharmaceutical consignments in refrigerated containers, also called reefers, by the sea route. You can regard reefers as oversized fridges.
With reefers, transporters can maintain the requisite temperature to preserve the potency of the products. Reefers distribute chilled air through T-shaped decking on the floor to actuate a consistent and uniform airflow throughout the container.
Reefers are also undergoing upgrades with the addition of advanced capabilities, like backup generators and controlled-atmosphere technology.
For air transportation, there are two types of cold containers for shippers–passive and active. Let us know the difference between the container types.
Passive containers prevent temperature fluctuations but do not control the temperature. And that is why they are passive. They work with insulated panels and a source of cold temperatures, such as wet ice, gel packs, dry ice, or liquid nitrogen.
Active containers monitor and control the temperature levels. Such containers have sensors, a control unit, ventilators, an air duct, and a data log.
Conclusion
The objective of transporters is to ship pharmaceuticals in the right conditions to reach the endpoints in usable conditions. They should take advantage of the existing cold supply chain technology to transport pharmaceuticals in the right ways.
