Like many other industries around the world, the pharmaceutical industry has grown more than a fair bit over the years. But with growth comes new logistical issues, and that's exactly what pharmaceutical transportation companies are running into right now.
What kind of logistical issues? Read on to learn more.
Lack of Coordination
There isn't a single industry in the world that doesn't suffer from a lack of coordination at one point or another in its tenure. Unfortunately, a lack of coordination can be extremely detrimental when you're working with pharmaceutical transportation. If a product needs to be kept in cold storage for the duration of its shipment, it's crucial that it gets on the road as promptly as possible. A lack of coordination on any one party's part in the supply chain could mean a batch of spoiled prescriptions. It could mean someone goes without their much-needed medication in extreme cases.
Regulations
As you can imagine, there are some pretty strict regulations when it comes to pharma logistics services and expedited international shipping services. Considering that the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates freight value to increase to almost $1,377 per ton by 2040, adhering to these regulations is extremely important. As for why they've become even more strict in the last few years, you have counterfeit pharmaceuticals to thank for that. The counterfeit drug market was valued at approximately $200 billion in 2010 alone, and since then the industry has taken measures to protect the public from such dangerous products. In fact, former U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Drug Supply Chain Security Act into law in 2013, which implemented a much-needed track-and-trace system.
Temperature Control
As mentioned previously, many pharmaceutical products require refrigeration throughout the specialty freight process. If a controlled temperature is not carefully maintained, some drugs could degenerate and become useless to doctors and patients. Even a slip-up of one degree could result in a bad shipment of pharmaceuticals.
There are countless logistical issues facing pharmaceutical transportation companies. Fortunately, there are expedited shipping services out there specifically designed to manage and help mitigate these setbacks.
For all of your specialty expedited shipping needs, contact us today.
Whether you're a company looking to improve one facet of your supply chain, your entire supply chain, or simply looking for a transportation and logistics consultation, we can help.
