Pharmaceutical Transport: Best Practices, Shipping Materials and More

box of compounded prescription medications
With the pharmaceutical industry rapidly becoming a global game, it’s more important than ever to have logistics solutions that can meet the market’s unique needs. Shipping pharmaceuticals poses unique challenges that require special care to address—and Air Sea Containers is uniquely equipped to help you address them.   Some of the factors that make pharmaceutical shipping so challenging include:
  • The diverse properties and individualized nature of pharmaceuticals
  • Risks to patient health from improperly transported pharmaceuticals
  • Laws and regulations governing pharmaceutical products
  • Need for temperature regulation to keep products in a temperature range that’s often much more restrictive than other types of goods
  • Higher shipping and insurance costs
Thanks to these factors and others, pharmaceutical logistics is a $13.4 billion industry—one that can be intimidating to navigate for newcomers. However, our packaging experts at Air Sea Containers know that it’s not impossible—especially when you’re working with the right tools. Here are four key tips to make sure that your pharmaceutical shipments arrive safely.  

1. Know the regulations and properties of what you’re shipping.

  The golden rule of shipping and logistics is to know your cargo and, when that cargo is pharmaceuticals, compliance should be a major area of focus. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of all relevant regulations and best practices, possibly including:
  • FDA regulations for all pharmaceuticals
  • DEA regulations for controlled substances such as opiates and benzodiazepines
  • DOT hazmat laws if anything you’re shipping falls under hazmat laws, such as some chemicals or live organisms
  • Best practices for shipping each pharmaceutical product, as determined by its manufacturer
It’s strongly recommended that you employ the services of a compliance lawyer when shipping pharmaceuticals. The potential liability can be substantial, so legal counsel to help you navigate the tangled webs of regulations is an important investment.  

2. Be aware of all of your options for temperature regulation.

  Temperature regulation is a critical need for most pharmaceuticals, and so it can be beneficial to explore all options for managing it. You’ll have a few main choices: Temperature Controlled Shipping: In most cases, the ideal solution is to work with a provider of temperature controlled logistics. See the tip below for more information on this.
  • Dry Ice: This powerful chemical refrigerant is still widely used in cold chain logistics, but it can be challenging to handle safely. However, when you want a product kept at freezing temperatures or below, dry ice is still the industry standard. Make sure to check the CFR’s regulations on dry ice and familiarize yourself with them.
  • Refrigerant Gel Packs: Many items don’t need to be kept frozen but require a refrigerated temperature from 32 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature controlled packaging such as refrigerant gel packs are a great option for this, and Air Sea offers eco-friendly models that are reusable, recyclable, and non-toxic.
  • Insulated Styrofoam Coolers: These heavy-duty Styrofoam coolers can be a great supplement to other cooling methods like gel packs, thanks to their ability to prevent heat transfer.
Refrigerant Gel Pack

Air/Sea 16 Oz. Refrigerant Gel Pack

 

3. Design your packaging carefully.

  Pharmaceutical products often require specialized packaging solutions and shipping materials to meet their unique needs. At Air Sea, we have over 20 years of experience in helping our customers overcome shipping challenges by providing smart packaging solutions for all kinds of cargo. We’ve got many options that can be helpful for pharmaceutical shipping, including: These packaging materials can help you create tailor-made solutions for your pharmaceutical goods. However, it’s still important to choose a freight carrier with the right experience to actually get them where they’re going.  
  • 4. Look for a shipping partner with experience in pharmaceutical transport.
  The best logistics partners for pharmaceutical transport are usually the ones with specialized experience in the field. Look for cold chain logistics specialty carriers and, if you’re going international, make sure you’ve found options to maintain temperature control at every stage of the process. If you can find a carrier with specific expertise in pharmaceuticals, they can also often provide help with things like packaging and regulatory compliance. A good pharmaceutical shipping partner should also provide robust visibility options. You’ll definitely want to be able to track your shipment through every stage of the logistics process, but you should also ask about temperature monitoring. Many cold chain logistics providers will include an option to remotely verify the temperature of your shipment via thermometers in their vehicles and warehouses. medical warehouse worker The difficulties of pharmaceutical linguistics are real and significant, but they can be overcome through smart resource management. An experienced packaging solutions partner like Air Sea Containers can make a big difference by giving you the powerful, flexible tools you need. Got more questions about how we can help facilitate safe pharmaceutical transport? Call us at (866) 596-9448 or contact us online—we’re here to help!

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