5 Pharmaceutical Shipping Regulations You Need To Know
Todd Cawley | May 9th, 2022
Transporting pharmaceuticals involves a certain level of expertise. Medications are often delicate, and you need to be able to deliver them on time or risk having them become unusable.
For example, you must keep vaccines at a specific temperature range, which can be costly. As a result, you need to take special precautions before shipping them. That’s why we’ve provided five pharmaceutical shipping regulations you need to know.
Maintain Proper Temperatures
One of the most crucial guidelines for transporting medications is that you need to keep them at a constant temperature. Temperature fluctuations of just two degrees can completely derail a pharmaceutical shipment. When you’re unable to maintain these products at the appropriate temperature, they might become useless and potentially dangerous to the individuals who use them.
Use the Right Packaging
Another requirement you need to follow while delivering pharmaceuticals is to ensure they’re in the correct packaging. You need to keep medical products inside insulated containers in addition to providing them in climate-controlled vehicles. Thermal packaging can protect against temperature variations, harmful sunlight, humidity, and other potentially harmful factors.
Follow Safety Protocols
While transporting drugs, it is vital to adhere to safety and security regulations. Freight theft is a genuine problem, especially when transporting heavily regulated products like drugs, and the last thing you want is someone breaking into your vehicle. An expert logistics provider can help address these issues and ensure the safety of pharmaceutical items.
Know Cold Chain Instructions
Manufacturers will provide you with carrier instructions to help ensure the safe travel of the pharmaceuticals. You must follow these instructions as closely as possible. They include details like driving restrictions, confidentiality, secure freight handling, incident notification, shipment tracking, and specified reaction times.
Highly Trained Drivers
It’s critical to have a well-trained driver delivering pharmaceuticals as well. While transporting lifesaving supplies like medications, a driver’s attention to detail is crucial. Drivers keep items secure by avoiding needless stops, bypassing high-crime zones on their routes, and leaving the vehicle unattended for as little time as possible.
Whenever you’re tasked with delivering potentially lifesaving medications, keep these five pharmaceutical shipping regulations you need to know in mind to ensure safe delivery. Emerald Transportation Solutions is a trusted refrigerated truck manufacturer that can design and build the perfect vehicle for your company. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.
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What does under DOT mean?
Questions regarding DOT requirements come up often. 10,000 lbs GVW (gross vehicle weight) and over are commercial vehicles that fall under the Department of Transportation regulatory requirements.
What is the difference between GVW and payload?
GVW or Gross Vehicle Weight is the entire weight of the vehicle including the payload. The payload weight represents the amount of cargo you are hauling.
What is a self-powered unit and a vehicle-powered unit?
A self-powered unit has its own fuel source and will run independent of the truck. This is the heaviest and most expensive option. While vehicle-powered units run off the engine via a compressor mounted on the engine. These are less expensive and lighter in weight but you must run the truck or plug the electric standby into shore power.
What does K-factor mean and why is that important?
K-factor is a term that stands for the overall insulating value of the container (truck body). Quite simply the lower the K-factor the better the truck body will be able to maintain a given temperature and require less energy to do so.
How much lighter is a Poly Van vs a US spec body?
Poly Van bodies are very light. On average we estimate we are 75-150 lbs per foot lighter than a traditional sheet and post foamed in place body. These weight savings translates to less fuel burn and less CO2 emissions, along with added payload, the most important benefit.
