Options For Real-Time Transparency In Commercial Pharma Distribution

By Adam Tetz, Director of Worldwide Marketing, Peli BioThermal

There are many, potential just-in-time monitoring solutions companies can employ to protect their cold chain drug shipments. Determining the optimal solution for a given payload hinges on several factors, including:

• payload temperature profile and value,
• compliance and regulatory requirements associated with the payload and its country of destination,
• budget, and
• organizational infrastructure and support throughout the shipment's journey.

The aggregate temperature data collected over hundreds or thousands of shipments can help inform broader strategy, but that data is frequently amassed and analyzed using antiquated, “brute force” methods like manually tallied Excel spreadsheets. As with many other aspects of pharmaceutical development and distribution, the push toward more sophisticated, accessible data streams has already begun, with software platforms that help to aggregate and visualize that data faster and more accurately. Ideally, these data platforms will be largely smartphone accessible; that accessibility will, in turn, help support chain-of-custody data and improve tracing, a critical evolution for a space that is only predicted to grow as more temperature-sensitive therapeutics gain market acceptance.

Companies should look to partner with suppliers whose technologies, support, and expertise can help meet their track-and-trace needs while minimizing the amount of time, effort, and resources required to utilize these technologies effectively. Tracking solutions that are technology agnostic, easy to use, and fit-for-purpose are critical for the space; having a range of solutions that allow companies to mix and match and arrive at the level of support that is right for their shipping paradigm necessitates technologies that are as accessible as possible.