Niels van Namen, VP and Managing Director, Healthcare, Europe, UPS, predicted that the future will see a much broader range of products and a broader range of delivery channels. “We are already delivering to the patient at home, and that can mean a nurse giving the injection. The new normal could be the delivery driver is also the nurse giving the injection,“ he suggested. “We need to have a physical infrastructure knitted together to make sure the product ends up with the patient, at home, at work, or in the hospital, safely, securely, and in the right condition.”
Pharma experts taking part in the two-day discussion all agreed that the cool chain was improving, but that fear of sharing information and embracing new ideas was an issue. The conclusion was that cool chain partners must come out of their data silos to ensure the best possible service in the rapidly evolving pharma landscape.
“Each part of the chain is doing much better in its own area, but the chain is not there yet, we are not good at sharing information,” said pharma logistics expert Yoram Eshel. “Information must be shared between regulators, pharma agencies, forwarders, and all parts of the supply chain so that everyone can learn and improve. My message is do not be afraid to share information,“ he said, adding that pharma and logistics stakeholders should work hand in hand to improve product integrity and patient health and safety.
Sessions at the CCA event also focused on facilities, insurance, security and the benefits of the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certifications. Delegates agreed that increasing demands from regulators would force the cool chain industry to adopt certification as a “need to have, not a nice to have”.
Shippers in the audience said certification was already part of their process when choosing a lane. “You also have to start with a proper facility and with training,” said Rinzing Wangyal, VP Planning North America, Worldwide Flight Services.
He added that the industry should learn from the disruptors and embrace change. “Within three or four years all the paper will be gone, and we should focus on this and not fight against e-cargo. E-commerce is going to give us a lot of opportunities and ideas, and now is the time for us all to work together and work with them.”