The Advantages Of Reusable Bulk Systems For Commercial Pharma Shipping

By Will Staddon, Head of Commercial Rental Services, Peli BioThermal

Enabling the commercial shipment of pharmaceuticals is rife with complexity: the logistical, economic and safety concerns that attend bulk transportation necessitate solutions optimized to simplify transfer, lower costs and extend temperature-controlled storage.

The large-scale commercial distribution of temperature-sensitive, fragile pharmaceutical products, from vaccines to biotherapeutics to other high-value pharmaceuticals, has led to unprecedented innovation for the systems used to transport them. The bulk market has historically been dominated by single-use systems, which are effectively high-grade polyethylene boxes that are discarded once they have reached their destination. This paradigm is rapidly changing, spurred by rising costs, resource scarcity and scientific innovation.

The challenges inherent to bulk shipping, already complex, have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Issues related to raw materials and the global supply chain, as well as the prioritization of COVID vaccines in both production and shipping, have created a paradigm that favors more sustainable, affordable shipping solutions. Passive bulk shippers have emerged to meet this need, offering companies solutions to the regulatory hurdles, supply chain disruptions and logistical challenges inherent to global commercial pharmaceutical transport.