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Antra Krumina, Head of Global Logistics, Astra Logistic, examines the challenges in the multimodal supply chain
In recent years, the number of medicines delivered and kept in special storage conditions have been on the rise. Most of them consist of biological medicines, requiring a strict temperature range of +2°C to +8°C for storage, with +5°C being the optimal temperature. Both the effectiveness and safety of medicines depends on the environment. Thus all temperature requirements should be implemented by all members of the logistics supply chain impeccably.
To borrow a well-known principal, the cold chain is only as reliable as its weakest link. If during transportation or storage, the temperature or any other conditions are not kept at least by one of the partners, we find ourselves in a situation where the effectiveness of the cold chain is zero.
Biological medicines are one of the most complex platforms in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite the continuing need of serum and vaccines in countries across Central Asia, the region has developed a need for other biological medicines, such as plasma expanders, insulin and anti-viral drugs.
For Central Asian countries, we can identify several key obstacles that prevent cold chain requirements from being met. They are as follows:
Lack of Clear Regulations
While there are clear requirements on transportation and storage vaccines, the guidelines for biologics (that need to be stored in the +2°C to +8°C range) are less clear. Thus, there is an obvious need for clarification on cold chain requirements in local legislation.
Multilevel Procedures of Customs Clearance
Getting lots of documents to authorize a customs clearance for pharmaceutical shipments extends the time of storage in the customs warehouse. This may cause temperature excursions, damaging shipped biologics.
Multistage Distributor Scheme
In the supply chain, there are many players in the distribution path from the manufacturer to the final consumer. Since the products go through numerous partners and reload several times, it’s important to consider external factors that could impact the shipment, such as different modes of transport and seasonal weather changes. The shipment of pharmaceuticals is a delicate process that goes through a complicated logistics chain that can be exposed to high temperature variations.
The Lack of Special Service Providers
The most obvious example is the need for an independent validation of vehicles and warehouses that come with special cooling equipment, to ensure compliance with cold chain requirements.
If cold chain logistics can be subdivided into parts, in Central Asia we can highlight the following basic problems:
1. Cold Chain Warehouses
2. Local Transport as a part of Cool Chain
3. The Problem of “Last Mile” Distribution
Ultimately, there are several challenges facing the cold chain in Asia including, but not limited to:
Are there possible solutions in order to ensure qualified supply in the cold chain to Central Asia?
It is possible to avoid these problems by choosing specialized pharma logistical providers. It’s important to seek out companies with their own certified HUB for the delivery, storage, consolidation and shipment of pharmaceutical goods.
Crucially, such service providers must have on hand custom warehouse services with local airports. All these in combination ensures the timely delivery of cold chain thermolabile medicines.
Astra Logistic Ltd. is a specialized pharma logistics provider for the EU and Central Asia, offering the full range of services, including transportation, consolidation, storage, and customs clearance of pharmaceutical products in the supply chain. Among other company’s activities, Astra Logistic acts as a cargo agent that is engaged in air transportation and has agent agreements with almost all air carriers located at Riga International Airport.
Astra Logistic Ltd. delivers cargos from European pharmaceutical manufacturers with its own transport to the HUB in Riga. The delivery of goods from Riga in the CIS is made by refrigerated trucks and by air.
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