Challenges Of Temperature Control In Direct-To-Patient Shipments

By Vince Paolizzi, Director of NanoCool Sales, Peli BioThermal

Direct-to-patient and direct-from-patient shipments have evolved considerably in the last few years, but there still exist a number of challenges to their more widespread adoption. One of the biggest challenges, particularly for direct-to-patient shipments, was again evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic – the ultra-cold temperatures required for vaccine distribution made the technology widely employed by these shippers infeasible. Facilitating ultra-cold shipments is already a difficult proposition, even for larger or more advanced shippers. This is because the temperatures needed to maintain these drugs require the use of dry ice or liquid nitrogen, creating an insurmountable burden for packages handled by mainstream shipping companies, healthcare providers, and patients.

Direct-to- and direct-from-patient shipments differ from larger scale cold chain shipments in a number of ways. Finding the right container and supplier to navigate the intricacies of direct-to-patient and direct-from-patient shipments is critical, particularly for decentralized clinical trials, bespoke biologic treatments, and vulnerable patient populations. The increasingly complex protocols that attend modern clinical trials, coupled with the needs and preferences of the patients involved and the logistical challenges introduced by the pandemic, have made direct-to- and direct-from-patient shipping crucial tools for providers and trial sponsors alike.