Supply chain & logistics
products. These guidelines ensure that all aspects of the transportation process are carried out with the utmost care and attention to detail, from the packaging and labelling of the products to the handling and storage of the cargo during transit. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has established a set of standards and guidelines, such as the Temperature Control Regulations, for the transportation of pharmaceuticals. These regulations ensure that the products are handled with care and transported in a way that meets the required standards.
Sensitive and specialised
Pharmaceutical products are sensitive and require specialised handling. Any deviations from the required transportation conditions can harm the quality of the products and put patients’ health at risk. As a result, there is a need for robust transportation standards to ensure the safe and secure transport of pharmaceutical products. The transportation of pharmaceutical products involves several risks, such as temperature excursions, contamination, theft and mishandling. These risks can lead to product spoilage, damage or loss. It’s been estimated by the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science that the industry loses at least $15bn worth of products each year to temperature deviations that force cargo disposal. With additional costs, such as labour expenses for damage analysis and product replacement, the annual cost rises to more than $35bn. IATA’s set of standards and guidelines for the transportation by air of pharmaceuticals mitigate these risks. IATA certifications ensure that the products are handled with care and transported in a way that meets the required standards. These certifications cover all aspects of the transportation process, though these aspects depend upon the specifics of the journey, generally they can be seen as packaging, labelling, documentation handling and storage. By following these standards, the risk of product spoilage or loss is significantly reduced, and the quality of the products is maintained.
Temperature Control Regulations Temperature control is crucial for the transportation of pharmaceutical products. Temperature excursions can cause irreversible damage to the products, rendering them ineffective or even harmful to patients. This is especially important to note given the growth in cell and gene therapy products, which are expensive to manufacture and have much more stringent temperature-control requirements than small molecule drugs. The challenge of transporting living medicines has been made evident during the current pandemic, as some companies required their vaccines to be kept at ultra-low temperatures during
World Pharmaceutical Frontiers /
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net 25 Benefits of using IATA standards
Using IATA standards for pharma air cargo shipments provides several benefits for the healthcare industry: ■ Improved product quality: IATA standards ensure that pharmaceutical products are handled with care and transported in a way that maintains their quality. This prioritisation and care ensures that customers receive safe and effective medications.
■ Reduced risk of product loss or damage: IATA standards provide requirements and guidelines for the transportation of pharmaceutical products that reduce the risk of product loss or damage. These standards cover packaging, labelling, documentation, handling, storage and any other specific aspects of transportation.
■ Improved supply chain efficiency: By following IATA standards, companies can improve their transportation processes and reduce the time and cost of transporting pharmaceutical products. This improves the efficiency of the supply chain and ensures that medications are delivered to patients in a timely and cost- effective manner.
■ Regulatory compliance: IATA standards ensure that companies comply with the regulatory requirements for the transportation of pharmaceutical products. By following these standards, companies can avoid penalties and regulatory action and maintain their reputation in the healthcare industry.
Source: IATA
transit. IATA Temperature Control Regulations provide requirements and guidelines for the transportation by air of pharmaceutical products that require temperature control. The Temperature Control Regulations cover all previously mentioned aspects of temperature- controlled transportation, including packaging, labelling, documentation, handling and storage. These guidelines ensure that the products are transported within their required temperature range and that any deviations from the required conditions are promptly detected and corrected. The Temperature Control Regulations also provide recommendations for the use of temperature-controlled packaging and data loggers
IATA’s standards and guidelines help to prevent temperature excursions during a cargo flight.
Elzbieta Krzysztof/
www.shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49
