IMPERATIVES FOR COLD CHAIN QUALITY: Part 4 - Evaluating the Results

In the pharmaceutical cold chain, all logistics partners share the common goals of safe and successful product transportation and by consequence, patient health and safety. Planning for temperature-sensitive shipments supports effective logistics, but just as important is an ongoing review of the results. This is what allows cold chain providers to identify challenges and find ways to address them. Ensuring that life-saving medicines safely reach the end user takes coordination and continuous improvement.

This article series explores five of the most important best practices for enhancing time- and temperature-sensitive program development in the demanding field of pharmaceutical logistics. Thus far, we have looked at the importance of identifying the customer’s scope , selecting the right partners , and collaborating on process development and implementation . Once shipments begin to move, however, how do we know efforts are working as designed, preserving the integrity of the product while at all times minimizing risk? This installment considers how to evaluate shipment handling results and how to use that data to enhance and improve the cold chain.

Product viability has a direct impact on patient health. Recognizing this, cold chain providers measure shipment conditions and results at specific points in the supply chain. This includes checks on temperature and active ULD voltage levels, as well as recording storage conditions and confirming that a shipment was moved as booked. This kind of continuous monitoring is what is needed to preserve temperature-sensitive product requirements. It also yields critical data that can inform how the cold chain is enhanced and risk is mitigated.

With these results, logistics partners can conduct reviews of completed shipments, which support ongoing cold chain improvement. It is critical to identify any discrepancies or circumstances that could threaten product viability, as well as validate regulatory compliance. This latter point is particularly important as customs regimes worldwide implement ever-stricter requirements for temperature-sensitive shipments.

Over time, results data can also reveal trends and patterns in shipments, be they persistent problems or consistent success. Awareness of these patterns can not only assist in enhancing cold-chain processes but also guide how shippers and forwarders select carriers and award volumes in the future. Ongoing challenges could encourage shippers to seek new air cargo partners; conversely, a strong track record of effective cold chain shipments builds confidence.

Data can also inform and help strengthen partnerships, giving logistics stakeholders critical information that fuels collaboration and improvement.Shipment results provide important data for Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), where logistics partners re-examine goals and look to the future. For data to be used in this way, however, partners need to establish effective communication methods and routines.

Communication is what allows partners to discuss and share results and ensure all stakeholders have a complete and accurate understanding of cold chain issues. This understanding feeds into continuous improvement of the partners’ respective Quality Management Systems (QMS), particularly for monitoring and evaluating critical control points in the supply chain. Each link in the cold chain is critical, as any weak point threatens the entire shipment’s viability. Utilizing an effective QMS to ensure programs keep pace with supply chain challenges is as important for effective transport as it is for patient safety.

Particularly in the age of instant, digital information and communication, there is no need to wait until the end of the month to review shipment results. These results contribute to collective awareness and understanding, which can inform daily quality reviews. Indeed, daily reviews allow logistics partners to make immediate improvements to how temperature-sensitive shipments are being moved.

Evaluating results informs important decisions in ongoing cold chain shipments. The results guide how temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals can be most safely and efficiently moved from shipper to end user. In this series’ final installment, we look at how to continue enhancing and improving cold chain operations over the long term.

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IMPERATIVES FOR COLD CHAIN QUALITY: Part 4 - Evaluating the Results

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