Container selection for the distribution of temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals is highly influential not only on the success of the shipment but also on whether an overspend may be incurred.
The majority of Cold Chain IQ’s 2015 survey respondents planned to increase investment in their CRT supply over the following 12-18 months. However, finding cost-effective packaging solutions, transportation and distribution services were pinpointed as key challenges. This compounded cost pressure to maintain overheads is of course connected to the lower margins attached to CRT products.
When evaluating your packaging approach, be sure to pay attention to the total cost - a low price does not guarantee a high quality of service. Also, the less expensive price per pound can often end up costing more in the long run through transportation costs, etc. 6 Vaccine vial size has been shown to have far reaching implications on supply chain costs. A study from the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) discovered that expanding the vaccine vial size decreased total costs by as much as US$0.25 per dose, which could win sizable savings if administered on a mass scale.
In deciding between reusable and single use containers, Andreas Seitz, Managing Director, DoKaSch Temperature Solutions GmbH explains that the best selection will become apparent on conducting a clear annual cost review - comparing the annual costs of the disposable unit to the yearly rental costs of reusable units.
In the face of various packaging modes, Pharma Logistics IQ explores the advantages and drawbacks that should be considered when making decisions on the application of reusable or disposable packaging solutions within the cold chain.