Recent events have shown how important timely and regulated delivery of medicines is in our lives. Sometimes it really is a matter of life and death. Transportation of medicines is a specific activity that requires responsibility and special equipment.
The choice of road transport is due to the need to transport small consignments within one settlement or region, while the use of other modes of transport is not justified. Road transport is good because it allows you to get to remote settlements. More information about other information materials on the topic of freight transportation can be found on the porta https://www.divinetrans.com/page/transportation-of-pharmaceuticals-by-professional-company.
What are the peculiarities and difficulties of transporting medicines?
Transporting medicines and pharmaceutical products is a complex and high-tech logistics task. The difficulty is that different transportation objects require different transportation conditions:
- temperature regime;
- conditions for transporting drugs in glass containers;
- precautions for transporting flammable substances;
- requirements for the transportation of substances in different states of aggregation, etc.
The complexity of the task of a transport company may lie in the fact that it is necessary to deliver a consolidated cargo of hundreds of items, and it is necessary to select medicines with similar conditions for transportation.
Rules for transporting medicines
To ensure safe transportation of medications, you must adhere to the following rules.
- Preparation and protection. Vehicles are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before loading. The cargo compartment must be dry and protected from moisture, wind, and direct sunlight.
- Packing in shipping containers must be carried out before loading; each loading location must be marked.
- Loading is carried out taking into account the degree of fragility, which should be indicated on the packaging. The goods are placed extremely tightly, without gaps between packages. More fragile cargo should be placed on top and secured without the risk of falling from a height.
- Medicines with different physical properties and in different states (tablets, liquids, suspensions) must be transported on different flights.
- Transportation of herbal preparations is permitted only if there is a label indicating the group.
- When transporting medications with a strong, pungent odor, be sure to use a sealed cargo compartment of the vehicle.
- Transportation of pharmaceutical products must be carried out with a standard package of accompanying documents, including a waybill and a waybill for the driver, a contract for the transportation of medicines, quality certificates for the drugs being transported, insurance (if valuable and expensive drugs and pharmaceutical products are transported).
Transport requirements
Refrigerators and insulated vans are used to transport medicines.
Refrigerators are equipped with special climate control units that provide the temperature and humidity necessary for storing the transported products. The required indicators are maintained from the beginning of loading until the end of unloading of cargo. The advantage of such vehicles is the presence of an autonomous generator, which ensures that the required parameters are maintained in the event of a failure of the main equipment. The most common brands of transport used are Iveco, MAN, Scania.
Isothermal vans ensure the safety of the specified parameters, the presence of a quarantine compartment and the tightness of the body.
Cars must have means of monitoring the established parameters of electronic or film type (thermal sensors); they help monitor transportation conditions throughout the entire journey. They are attached to the walls of the body and boxes with cargo, from which data is transmitted to a receiving device located in a place where the driver can regularly monitor the situation.
It is mandatory to use only technically sound vehicles that have passed mandatory technical control.
Is it possible to transport medicines in a personal vehicle?
The legislation does not prohibit the transportation of small quantities of medicines in personal vehicles. At the same time, maintaining the physical and chemical properties of drugs and the integrity of packaging is a priority. To maintain the required temperature and humidity, thermal containers for transporting medicines of various capacities are used, in which the required parameters can be set. In some cases, minutes matter, and using a personal car is more than justified. For example, transporting blood involves a small volume that needs to be delivered to the patient quickly. Thermal containers have appeared that can be connected both to standard power sources and to a car cigarette lighter or battery. This simplifies the transportation of medicines in passenger cars.
Why is it important to comply with all requirements for transporting medications?
Medicines save the lives of people and animals. It is important to deliver medicines to final consumption points in a timely manner while maintaining their effectiveness and medicinal properties. This is only possible if the manufacturer’s requirements are met during transportation and storage.
Responsibility for this issue lies with the carrier, so it is necessary to carefully select a transport company, checking its reputation, service life, and equipment with the necessary vehicles and equipment. Then, the medicines will be delivered to patients on time, and there will be no problems with the quality of the medicines.