Ensuring pharmaceuticals are transported correctly is a highly specialised process. Many factors from the accuracy of real-time monitoring to legislation affect how pharmaceuticals travel from the point of origin to final delivery.
The transport of pharmaceutical goods involves high risk, especially when even slight temperature variations, or extended delays, can render an entire shipment unsalvageable. While there are minimum regulations to keep in mind, all cold chain experts will agree that implementing best practices is the only way to reduce risk during transport.
1. Choice of vehicles
It’s crucial that vehicles are fit for purpose. Not all vehicles can be equipped with any type of refrigeration unit, so it’s important to perfectly match the vehicles with the type of pharmaceuticals that are being transported.
Depending on your business model and transport routes it may be more efficient to opt for a mixed fleet that consists of different types and sizes of vehicles. Choosing the wrong vehicles can lead to increased fuel and maintenance costs that will have a big impact on your fleet budget.
2. Know your products
Most pharmaceuticals have defined transport parameters: they must stay within a specific temperature range and can only be in transit for a specific amount of time.
If you know the parameters of the products you’re transporting it allows you to map out your exact transport model, including routes and estimated times. If you know which products require the same transport parameters it allows you to plan ahead and transport these goods together, if possible.
3. Understand the transport chain
The pharmaceutical transport chain often includes international shipping, customs and warehousing. No matter where your transport role fits into this chain, you must keep track of any delays or goods handling concerns. Not only does this allow you to plan effectively, but also raises any mishandling concerns by other parties.
4. Keep track
It’s vital to accurately track all pharmaceutical transports. Not only are they time and temperature-sensitive, but there is also an increased risk of hijacking as theft due to the cargo.
Real-time monitoring of vehicle location, vehicle condition (tyre and engine monitoring) and driver behaviour monitoring will reduce the risk of incidents and often allow you to identify a problem before it becomes a crisis.
5. Set alarms
One of the best ways to ensure pharmaceutical goods remain in perfect condition during transit is to set alarms/alerts for certain parameters. There are many different options and depending on your telematics system, you can set these to alert both the driver and the control room if:
- The temperature in the temperature-controlled part of the vehicles rises or dips dangerously close to set parameters.
- The vehicle deviates from its planned route.
- The load bay doors are open longer than allowed.
- There is an incident and the vehicle comes to a sudden stop or pulls over to the side of the road.
6. Back up plans
An effective pharmaceutical fleet will have a series of backup plans in the event of a vehicle incident or breakdown. It’s impossible to predict every detail, but an experienced fleet partner will be able to help you minimise the impact.
Ensure you have access to an extensive and reliable support network in the event of vehicle, or storage area problems. Many minor problems can be fixed on the spot if you have a solid and capable support network.
7. Keep checking
Maintenance is arguably the most important part of keeping a pharmaceutical fleet running smoothly. Regular vehicle checks and maintenance is the only way to minimise vehicle malfunctions or breakdowns.
If you are working with temperature-controlled units, these also require regular maintenance and testing to check for any faults. It’s vital to ensure these are kept in top condition as a fault during transit could result in the loss of the entire load.
Summary
An efficient pharmaceutical fleet relies on experience and details: everything must be maintained and monitored and you need effective incident plans should something go wrong.
Fleet management, especially in pharmaceutical goods, is constantly evolving. Keeping your fleet at the top of its game is the best way to reduce cost and risk. Subscribe to our blog for more insight into streamlining your fleet processes.
