Cold Chain Considerations For Global Commercial Pharma Distribution

Cold chain packaging and shipping considerations change as an organization shifts from clinical to commercial operation, and new challenges have impacted shipping in general since the advent of COVID-19. Implementing sustainable cold chain shipping practices that evolve alongside an organization’s product portfolio and distribution footprint requires understanding the obstacles to overcome.

Moreover, stark differences exist between clinical and commercial cold chain shipping — most notably, the increased scale and reach of distribution — so experience in the former does not necessarily translate to aptitude in the latter. For example, commercial shipping places more emphasis on maintaining profit margins, which means scaling packaging’s thermal performance to meet specific needs, versus trying to apply a one-size-fits-all approach. Accordingly, outsourcing has emerged as a best practice as pharmas seek to double down on their core competencies and increase their margins. However, pharmaceutical companies must ensure their partners can understand and adapt to their specific situation.

An adept partner can help pharmaceutical companies requiring cold chain distribution after commercial launch to maximize ROI through efficient warehousing, distribution, and packaging strategies. Additionally, such a partner can cater to evolving industry demand for reliable services that integrate environmental sustainability and in-transit information that updates in real time.