Most people think of fridge vans as carrying food, but medicines move the same way. Vaccines, insulin and many other medicines have to stay within a narrow temperature range from the moment they leave the manufacturer until they’re used. Here are six things to get right when you transport them by van.
1. Know the temperature range, and that it works both ways
Many medicines that need refrigerating are kept at +2°C to +8°C. The UK’s Green Book guidance on vaccines, for example, says they should be stored and transported within that range, aiming for +5°C in the middle, and that a vaccine can lose its potency for good if it gets too warm or too cold, including in transport. Some pharmaceutical products need to stay frozen, down to -25°C.
So the van has to stop the load freezing on a winter night as well as overheating in summer. Choose a refrigeration unit with heating if you carry anything that mustn’t freeze.
2. Work to Good Distribution Practice
Businesses that distribute medicines work to Good Distribution Practice (GDP), which covers how they’re stored and transported and how temperatures are controlled and recorded. Know which rules apply to your business and keep up with changes; your customers will expect it.
3. Monitor and record the temperature
You need to be able to show the load stayed in range. A load temperature recorder prints a receipt as evidence that goods were held at the right temperature in transit. Check the reading before you set off and at each drop.
4. Consider two compartments
A fixed or moveable bulkhead splits the load space into two compartments, so you can carry products at two different temperatures in one van, or keep them apart. For a smaller business, that can mean one van doing the work of two.
5. Keep the van and the fridge serviced
A fridge unit that fails mid-round can cost a whole load. Keep the van and the unit serviced on schedule and the condenser clean, and have a plan for what you’ll do if it fails anyway. See how long does a fridge unit last?
6. Pack and load carefully
Use packaging that protects the products from knocks and holds their temperature at each drop. Don’t pack the load against the fridge unit or block the airflow around it, so cold air can reach the whole load space. Load in drop order and keep the doors open for as short a time as you can; curtains across the doors help.
What a GDP customer will ask about your van
If you deliver for a pharmacy chain or a medicines wholesaler, expect them to check your van before they give you work. In the UK, wholesalers licensed by the MHRA must comply with GDP, and the MHRA’s licence notes point to the EU GDP guidelines (2013/C 343/01). These are the questions that follow from them.
Has the van been temperature mapped?
Mapping means placing temperature loggers around the load space and recording how the temperature varies from spot to spot. The guidelines say mapping should be done under representative conditions and should take account of seasonal variations. In practice that usually means mapping in summer and in winter, because warm and cold spots can move as the weather changes. The results also help you decide where the van’s temperature probe should go.
Is the monitoring equipment calibrated?
The guidelines say equipment that monitors temperature in vehicles should be maintained and calibrated at regular intervals, at least once a year, and that calibration should be traceable to a national or international standard. Keep the certificate for your load temperature recorder and its probes, and know when the next one is due.
Will an alarm tell you if the temperature goes wrong?
The guidelines expect alarms that alert you when the temperature goes outside set limits, with sensible alarm levels and regular tests to prove they work. Agree the high and low alarm points with your customer and test them.
Can you show the records?
Customers can ask for evidence that their products stayed within the right temperature, and the guidelines say you should provide it. Any temperature excursion in transit should be reported to the distributor and the recipient, and investigated. GDP documents should be kept for at least five years. A recorder that prints or downloads a record of every journey makes this simple.
Is the van qualified?
For temperature-sensitive medicines, the guidelines call for qualified equipment, which includes temperature-controlled vehicles. Qualification is documented evidence that the van and its fridge are installed correctly and hold temperature as they should. The guidelines say it should be done before first use and again after any significant change, such as a repair.
We build and supply the van; the mapping, qualification and ongoing records are usually done by you or a specialist your customer approves. Tell us what your customer needs when you order, so the van arrives ready for it.
The van
For medicines, look for a chiller or freezer conversion with the right unit for your temperature range, curtains, a temperature recorder and, if the van sits loaded overnight, electric standby (it has to be specified when the van is built). See our pharmaceutical refrigerated vans and accessories, or call us on 01444 245555 to talk through your requirements.
