Manufacturers bear ultimate cold-chain responsibility

Arminda Montero, distribution QA program manager, global pharmaceutical operations at Abbott, acknowledged that responsibility from a manufacturer’s perspective. “There are numerous handoffs in the pharmaceutical chain, but customers only know the manufacturer’s name. We’ve had customers call us about possible temperature excursions. It’s important to follow current Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Distribution Practices.” Montero was one of several speakers who stated, “colder isn’t always better,” when it comes to how companies throughout the cold chain distribute temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals.

Representatives from refrigerated and/or frozen cargo carrier companies made it clear they want to do a good job delivering medications for manufacturers. Even though the pharmaceutical business may be small compared to other industries, these carriers know there’s money to be made, as evidenced by the growing involvement in this sector by carriers such as American Airlines Cargo, FedEx Custom Critical, UPS Healthcare Logistics, and Delta Cargo.