In part 1 and part 2 of our series on distribution methods for pharmaceuticals, we looked at the current model of the pharmaceutical supply chain, which has evolved so significantly since the turn of the century that the federal government has passed stricter regulations, while the World Health Organization has recommended Good Distribution Practices (GDP) to ensure the safety and security of prescription...

Written by SmartSense | April 30, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety, Supply Chain

Part 1 in our series on pharmaceutical distribution outlined a big picture overview of the current (but ever-changing) model of the pharma cold chain. In this post, we dive further into the Good Distribution Practices (GDPs) recommended to guarantee supply chain safety and security of medications as they move from manufacturer to patient. Because prescription drugs have become more expensive and specialized, the...

Written by SmartSense | April 10, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety, Supply Chain

The pharmaceutical distribution supply chain will be the focus of a three-part series over the next several weeks. Why? This topic has only gained in importance since the turn of the 21st century. As medications, delivery methods, and technologies change rapidly to meet expanding patient needs, manufacturers and distributors must adapt and evolve. They have the obligation to ensure that medicines and vaccines are...

Written by SmartSense | March 27, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety, Supply Chain

It’s pretty remarkable how inpatient, outpatient, and pharmaceutical services have become integrated by new technologies. We often take for granted that doctors can now submit our prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy, which can match them to our online profiles to check for side effect complications, and then send them by express delivery to our front doors. Not long ago these steps had to be conducted...

Written by SmartSense | March 13, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety

Last month, the CDC released a redesigned Vaccine and Storage Handling Toolkit, aimed at providing healthcare professionals recommendations and best practices for managing, storing, and monitoring vaccines to ensure potency. Temperature control is extremely important for vaccines, as any deviation risks the quality of the vaccine, and in turn, the safety of the patient. This post will outline some of the key...

Written by SmartSense | February 22, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety

Consider the thousands of fleet assets that operate within a logistics network. To keep order in the fleet, geofencing solutions has enabled yard management, or the management of trailers and assets within a yard. For the fleet assets that transport goods and get them to their destination, yard monitoring is required to ensure proper asset utilization.

Written by SmartSense | February 15, 2019 | Pharmacy Safety, Food Safety, FSMA