A recent report states that, on average, 38% of vaccine shipments in first-world countries had experienced problems with temperature controls during shipment. In those cases, re-vaccination is usually required, resulting in huge wastes of resources. 

Much of cold chain management revolves around healthcare (especially medications and lab samples). For example, most vaccines are produced and tested under the assumption they will always be stored at a temperature range of two to eight degrees celsius. Temperatures below or higher standards can cause many vaccines to lose their potency, making them ineffective. At this point, cold chain management comes into play to maintain a temperature-controlled environment (from the storage to the final delivery).

Today we will discuss the main challenges faced by cold chain management in healthcare. Based on the newest technology, we will let you know about new potential solutions on the market. Let us take a look!

Healthcare Cold Chain Management Challenges

The supply chain for pharmaceutical products is full of challenges, ranging from preventing temperature fluctuations to achieving 100% compliance with international organizations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Below, we have summarized the main challenges that operators in the pharmaceutical cold supply chain face daily:

Temperature Excursions

As the drive for more innovative drug development accelerates, the need for reliable temperature-controlled supply chains has become a number one priority. Temperature excursions jeopardize the quality and stability of the drug. According to the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, the biopharmaceutical industry loses $ 35 billion annually due to temperature control errors in supply chains.

Additionally, as pharmaceuticals are shipped around the world, companies need to ensure they comply with each country's regulations and maintain the most stringent requirements.

Transport and delivery errors

The distribution process consists of storage and transportation. Storage in the cold chain is often more manageable than temperature regulation during transport. In addition, mobile cold chain equipment in transport vehicles can suffer breakdowns. This situation can occur in cooling solutions used in active cold chains due to improper maintenance or a loss of power. These circumstances may lead to product destruction or deterioration.

Human errors

Even if the cold supply chain has been well-established with advanced packaging, transport, or handling technologies, success is not guaranteed. Another possible reason for failure is relying on poorly trained staff to manage the cold chain. Human resources management is essential to ensure an autonomous cold chain system. Some of the reasons for common human errors can include:

Bad management

Inadequate training

Non-compliance with established procedures

In addition to the challenges mentioned above, the information management of the medical supply is also facing an unprecedented test. For this reason, it is particularly important to realize the digitalization of cold chain management through rapid data collection and identification.

Urovo's Solutions for Healthcare Cold Storage Management

It is important to prepare contingency plans to address cold chain risks. We are referring to Urovo latest RT40 industrial-grade mobile computer. Our device offers unparalleled cold resistance with an ultra-long distance scanning ability.

Cold resistance

Under extreme conditions in the cold chain warehouse, RT40 is equipped with low-temperature-resistant batteries and hardware. Such setup helps workers to operate the equipment normally at a minimum temperature of -30 °C. When the temperature difference is too large, condensation water will appear on an ordinary screen, resulting in a blurred image. On the other hand, RT40 is equipped with a professional anti-condensation screen and self-heating function. The screen and scanning window are automatically heated at low temperatures to ensure that employees work normally.

Longevity

Low-quality batteries under extreme circumstances like in the cold supply chain are not reliable. Urovo's many years of development have come up with the “hot-swap technology.” Such a breakthrough has made it possible for the battery to be replaced immediately without the device's powers off. As a result, operators do not incur in work downtimes, and data are protected, avoiding the loss of important information.

Long-range scansion

Faced with tall shelves, climbing up a ladder to check medicines can be dangerous and time-consuming. Urovo RT40 is equipped with a unique ultra-long-distance code scanning engine, which can reach a maximum distance of 15 meters. By adopting our solution, workers can easily solve the problem of managing the inventory of medical supplies. In addition, the RT40 industrial mobile computer scanning capability can handle any 1D/2D barcode and screen barcode.

Conclusion

Healthcare cold chain products require constant monitoring to ensure their stability. Especially since the most sensitive pharmaceutical products (e.g. vaccines) involve logistical complexity and increased risks. Ensuring that pharmaceuticals maintain their integrity and safety is a challenge that requires greater visibility along the entire supply chain.

Among the solutions our customers adopted for the health care cold chain management, you may find our rugged mobile computer RT40. Urovo solutions are designed to sustain low temperatures and guarantee maximum visibility and control over the cold chain flow.

Contact us to know more about the technology behind your business's success.