The storage of medicines has always been an important and urgent issue for doctors and pharmacists. Improper storage of medicinal products can lead to significant financial losses for the company or healthcare provider. Such improperly stored drugs can potentially harm the health of any patient who seeks help. With all the variety of medications, it is vital to consider the risks during their transportation and storage.
Pharmacists can store most over-the-counter medicines at room temperature. Manufacturers have tried to eliminate the problem of temperature selection when it comes to essential drugs and the most popular or standard drugs. Such medicines are stored in a pharmacy in a room not equipped with devices other than an air conditioner. Having an air conditioner is very important in the pharmacy or keeping medicines at home. Even the most resistant drugs are susceptible to decomposition at high temperatures (86 degrees Fahrenheit) (Shomon, 2020). It also complicates the transportation or delivery of medicines, as not every truck or car is equipped with a powerful air conditioner. In addition, the tropical climate requires high-quality equipment from pharmacies and logistics companies. The location of the medication in the truck must be in the shade; open air and sun are not allowed. Medicines should not be heated by a truck or car engine. Otherwise, the medication recipient has the right to ask the insurers to replace the medication.
For logisticians, the question arises about the correct storage of medicines in special refrigerators because specialists often encounter ice build-up. Total transportation usually requires not filling refrigerators but leaving space for air circulation. It avoids ice build-up and the need to repair or defrost refrigerators or even transport vehicles. It also applies to medicines that people store in their refrigerators at home. In addition, people should carefully monitor that warm air does not enter the fridge, which will undoubtedly come into contact with cold air. Place medicines in the middle of the refrigerator, not at the edges. Usually, people place the medication in the fridge on the door, which is fundamentally wrong, as it allows air from the refrigerator to come into contact with warm air. The area of the refrigerator door is more exposed to warm air than other areas (Medication Refrigerator Temperature Guidelines: What You Should Know, 2020). In general, delivering medicines with refrigerators is indeed a challenging task, requiring financial costs and technical equipment. However, if people follow the established transportation rules, logisticians can minimize prices.
Control over the distance between drugs and packages should be accompanied by specialists and, possibly, video cameras to record what is happening in the room or inside the car. These cameras can also record the temperature in a room, which is especially important for several medications, especially some cancer medications (van Diest, 2017). Such control will allow not only to view precisely how drugs are moved and whether they move in boxes and packages, but also reduce the risk of theft during transportation.
Logisticians face complex risks when transporting medicines. One of these risks is temperature change and the exposure of some drugs to decomposition under light, sun, and high temperatures. Another risk is the accumulation of ice in refrigerators used by logisticians and pharmacists. Ordinary people also store medicines in refrigerators, but you should remember special storage rules. Otherwise, the refrigerator may be damaged and require defrosting, and the medication will still lose its medicinal properties. Transporting drugs is complex and requires constant monitoring of the distance between boxes and the proximity of containers to a car or truck door. It is recommended to install cameras in trucks during transport to monitor this. The camera will also be an excellent assistant in catching a thief if thieves try to steal and resell the cargo during the transportation or delivery of drugs.
References
Medication refrigerator temperature guidelines: What you should know. (2020). Default. Web.
van Diest, G. (2017). Pharmaceutical supply chain security risk assessment for shipping lanes. Pharmaceutical Outsourcing – The Journal of Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Contract Services. Web.
Shomon, M. (2020). Variations in temperature may be hazardous to your drugs. Verywell Health. Web.