20 Years of Experience in Pharmacy Logistics

The transport and storage of pharmaceuticals are subject to many strict requirements and procedures, compliance with which is essential to ensure the quality and safety of medications and medical supplies. A logistics operator that provides services to this industry must, in addition to having adequate storage space, also comply with the requirements of the Pharmaceutical Law. This is regulated by Good Distribution Practice and Good Manufacturing Practice.

It is crucial to ensure that certain groups of medications are kept in controlled conditions.

The transport situation for the pharmaceutical industry is very similar. The freight forwarder has to ensure that the required transport conditions are maintained, and these can be very demanding. “Controlled, constant temperature and often also humidity ensure that the composition and properties of pharmaceuticals remain unchanged.The conditions specified by the manufacturer are necessary to avoid damage, spoilage or loss of effectiveness of the medications”, explains Paweł Janicki. Proper procedures and experienced employees who can react quickly to any changes are also very important here.

In pharmaceutical logistics, the most important thing is the continuity of the supply chain, which is subject to many requirements. This is why it is often best to entrust all warehousing and transport processes to a single, reliable TSL operator. In order to be eligible, the logistics operator must have a proper warehouse infrastructure and a fleet adapted to transport pharmaceuticals in the desired temperature range: 2-8°C – cold chain, 15-25°C – warm chain and in dry ice. “At FM Logistic, we have been modernising our fleet for the past 2 years.Since last year, we have added 100 van trailers that meet all the complex requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.Telematics functions provide constant monitoring of cargo safety.With the warehouses, where we run a multi-client pharmaceutical wholesaler under our own licence and a consignment warehouse within it, we are more than ready to carry out even the most difficult operations for the sensitive pharmaceutical industry”, concludes Paweł Janicki.

An understanding of this specific industry and extensive know-how also play an important role. There is no doubt that the pharmaceutical industry needs experts in the first place. “More than 40 manufacturers of generic and innovative medications and medical supplies have trusted us so far.Every day we provide deliveries to more than 900 clients – mostly hospitals, pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers.The range of services we offer includes warehousing, handling, transport, copacking and comanufacturing.Several hundred people work in FM Logistic’s pharmaceutical facilities and we have been perfecting our experience in delivering services to this exceptionally demanding sector for 20 years”, says Paweł Janicki, FM Logistic expert. With a rich portfolio of clients and a wide range of services, we can synergise our activities. For example, we can deliver to different customers at the same locations, which improves our quality of service. As intermediate points and crossdocks can be avoided, supply chain security is also increased.

Over the past few years, Poland has become an attractive market as a location for pharmaceutical production and warehousing. The country’s proximity to many trade routes means that the risk of supply chain disruption is low. One manufacturer has decided to move part of production from Taiwan to FM Logistic’s warehouse in Błonie. “Apart from warehousing, we also carry out comanufacturing there, i.e. preparation of diabetes finished products”, explains Paweł Janicki. The medications market presents new problems and issues to solve on a regular basis, and the best TSL companies are ready for this. “In 2009, we launched Poland’s first direct distribution network for vaccines – from the client’s warehouse to hospitals and clinics.Also, we are responsible for handling one of the most expensive innovative products, a dose of which costs about PLN 2 million.This medication needs to be transported in liquid nitrogen at -80 degrees Celsius and is delivered directly to the doctor, who immediately administers it to a child suffering from SMA.This is a huge responsibility. The demanding nature of the service, high requirements, and zero margin for error – it’s a big job. But in the end, the satisfaction of completing the task is equally big”, says Paweł Janicki, Senior Business Development Director at FM Logistic.