PartagerCold chain self-assessment for pharmacists
The cold chain is becoming pharmacy’s new challenge. There are an increasing number of health products to be kept at controlled temperatures and regulatory requirements have been reinforced.
The cold chain is becoming pharmacy’s new challenge. There are an increasing number of health products to be kept at controlled temperatures and regulatory requirements have been reinforced.
The price of biotechnological products which have to be kept in very narrow temperature range (for example between +2°C and +8°C) can sometimes reach 100-3000 € and in some cases, failing to meet temperature requirements only once can destroy active principles.
Cemafroid, based near Paris, recently sent out a self-assessment questionnaire to pharmacists, in order to help them assess their cold-chain performance and try to envisage suitable solutions for the pharmaceutical cold chain. The questionnaire was sent to small, medium and large-sized retail pharmacies and was divided into three parts concerning cold-chain quality systems and regulations; pharmacy cold-storage equipment and cold-chain development projects, in relation with human and financial factors.
The survey reveals that quality systems are often insufficient, but also that over 40% of staff is considered untrained regarding cold-chain requirements and that non-compliance procedures are unknown in over 60% of the cases. Most pharmacists are aware of product temperature requirements and possess refrigerating equipment, but over 80% are not equipped with a second back-up refrigeration system.
The study also reveals a total lack of equipment (including monitoring equipment) certification. Besides, there is generally a series of confusions between thermal and electric regulatory requirements, and between monitoring and regulation devices or thermostats. Even though most pharmacists are not necessarily inclined to bear the financial burden associated with equipment certification and standards, the idea clearly raised the interest of the respondents.
Evaluation of Pharmacy Cold Chain, M. Boned, G. Cavalier
This paper from the 2nd Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain (ICCC2013) held in Paris, France, in April 2013, can be downloaded via the IIR’s Fridoc database (free for IIR members within the framework of their quota of free downloads).
The price of biotechnological products which have to be kept in very narrow temperature range (for example between +2°C and +8°C) can sometimes reach 100-3000 € and in some cases, failing to meet temperature requirements only once can destroy active principles.
Cemafroid, based near Paris, recently sent out a self-assessment questionnaire to pharmacists, in order to help them assess their cold-chain performance and try to envisage suitable solutions for the pharmaceutical cold chain. The questionnaire was sent to small, medium and large-sized retail pharmacies and was divided into three parts concerning cold-chain quality systems and regulations; pharmacy cold-storage equipment and cold-chain development projects, in relation with human and financial factors.
The survey reveals that quality systems are often insufficient, but also that over 40% of staff is considered untrained regarding cold-chain requirements and that non-compliance procedures are unknown in over 60% of the cases. Most pharmacists are aware of product temperature requirements and possess refrigerating equipment, but over 80% are not equipped with a second back-up refrigeration system.
The study also reveals a total lack of equipment (including monitoring equipment) certification. Besides, there is generally a series of confusions between thermal and electric regulatory requirements, and between monitoring and regulation devices or thermostats. Even though most pharmacists are not necessarily inclined to bear the financial burden associated with equipment certification and standards, the idea clearly raised the interest of the respondents.
Evaluation of Pharmacy Cold Chain, M. Boned, G. Cavalier
This paper from the 2nd Conference on Sustainability and the Cold Chain (ICCC2013) held in Paris, France, in April 2013, can be downloaded via the IIR’s Fridoc database (free for IIR members within the framework of their quota of free downloads).