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The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable sectors in the world, with a £60 billion yearly turnover, according to the Office of National Statistics. Revolutionary new vaccines and a growing demand for seasonal vaccination programmes in particular are driving up demand for an efficient and protected form of transport.
Vaccines, especially those containing blood and plasma, are extremely fragile, and the NHS have warned that they need to be maintained in optimal conditions. Damaged medicines and vaccines can place the end-user’s health in significant danger, while exposing healthcare organisations to legal penalties and reputational damage. It’s therefore vital that pharmaceutical fleets ensure their refrigerated vans meet specifications in order to keep patients safe and reputations intact.
Maintaining medicines and vaccines at optimum temperatures
Pharmaceutical companies must ensure that vaccines are transported and stored within their specific recommended temperature range until they reach the end user. This is crucial for ensuring the safety and potency of fragile medicines. Public Health England warns, that pharmaceutical products can lose their effectiveness if they become too hot or too cold, and when a vaccine fails to create the desired immune response, end-users receive poor protection. This consequently puts patients in danger.
Frozen vaccines, however, can pose a bigger threat. ‘Reactogenicity’ can occur, which refers to adverse vaccine reactions which can cause symptoms such as fever, bruising, redness and swelling.
The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) recommends that vaccines should be stored in specialised vaccine fridges during transport, controlled by a temperature regulation mechanism. Products should be kept between +2°C and +8°C – depending on specific manufacturer recommendations. By failing to provide these conditions, the RCN warns that “inappropriate storage and transport results in wastage and unnecessary costs to the NHS.”
To ensure temperature consistency during transportation, it is essential that your vehicles are equipped with reliable, high quality temperature controlled facilities. All of our refrigerated vans are supplied with state of the art Transcan temperature recorders, operated directly by you and your business, giving you complete control of your cargo.
It’s essential that an optimum temperature is maintained at all times. In case of a breakdown, our vehicles have refrigerator units on standby to keep your pharmaceuticals cool and avoid any permanent damage to fragile cargo.
The impact of damaged cargo
Damaged and ineffective vaccines and medicines are generally disposed of and wasted. In most instances, faults occur during transportation when pharmaceuticals become damaged. Vaccines that have been ‘written-off’ in the UK equated to a loss of £255 million last year. This significant loss is potentially to blame for the sky-rocketing costs of vaccines, as reported by the BBC.
Choose Flex-e-rent for your refrigerated van needs
With over 30 years’ experience and a comprehensive range of multi-compartment vans to choose from, you can rest assured that you are in safe hands. We appreciate the fragile nature of cold-chain products and fleets, which is why we have a dedicated team of specialists available on hand 24/7. From your first phone call, we help to ensure you get the right vehicles for your business and will support you in your day to day operations. Our mission is simple: to keep you on the move and ensure the safe delivery of your pharmaceuticals with our refrigerated vans for hire.
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