High-fidelity data key to preventing excursions across the pharmaceutical cold chain

Advances in technology continue to unlock new ways to manage and monitor the shipment of pharmaceutical products, and the data we get from the tech plays a crucial role in ensuring shipments get to the right people, right place, and at the right time.

Real-time monitoring is the ability to track pharmaceutical products, raw materials, and other related items in real time as they move through the supply chain. This includes monitoring their location, temperature, shock, and other key parameters to ensure that they are transported and stored under conditions that maintain their quality and safety. It generates invaluable data that empowers operations teams to respond quickly to deviations. Likewise, teams can proactively monitor for any potential issues and head them off early. This extra visibility reduces the risk of delays, losses, or damage to medicines. In an industry where time and quality are critical, real-time monitoring data has become a critical component of a successful logistics operation.

Preventing excursions in the pharma cold chain

To intervene when exceptions occur, logistics companies must have the ability to do so. Data on its own does not solve any problems. Logistics companies with large, geographically spread infrastructure — such as people and facilities — and access to a wide range of delivery options will be best placed to act on real-time data insights, and will have the best chance of preventing shipment failures.

Overcoming the technical hurdles of real-time monitoring

The complexities of tracking shipments across multiple modes of transportation, in different locations and under varying conditions, can make real-time monitoring a challenging task.

The first step in overcoming the technical hurdles of real-time monitoring is to ensure that the technology is robust and reliable. This means that the solution must be able to operate effectively in a variety of environments and under a wide range of conditions. For example, devices must be able to withstand fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and pressure, and must be able to maintain a stable and reliable connection to the monitoring system, irrespective of location.

In addition to the reliability of the monitoring technology itself, companies must also consider the logistical challenges of installing, maintaining, and updating the monitoring devices. This may require significant resources, such as personnel, facilities, and equipment, to ensure that the monitoring system is always up to date and functioning effectively.

Despite these technical challenges, the benefits of real-time monitoring are clear. By providing real-time insights into the location and condition of shipments, businesses can proactively intervene in the event of any issues, reducing the risk of delays or damage to the shipment and ensuring that patients receive the quality medicines they need. This must become the new norm.

Real-time location monitoring as standard: Driving the logistics industry forward

At World Courier we are deploying a real-time location monitoring (RTLM) solution on all of our multi-use packages, enabling increased visibility into the precise location of shipments in transit globally. The technology, which transmits data to operations teams across World Courier’s global network, enhances our ability to proactively monitor shipments, anticipate potential risks and intervene, if needed, to ensure the secure and timely distribution of products. By adding this technology to our packaging, we have created a new standard for tracking in the pharmaceutical logistics industry.

 
The technology has been added to all of our multi-use packaging solutions, including our innovative passive pallet solution Cocoon.

This is just the next step of our journey to drive data-based innovation and provide industry-leading service to our customers, and ensure healthier futures for patients.