Frankfurt Cargo Services (FCS) has gained IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification, which confirms that companies can ensure high quality across the board for sensitive medical products.
With vital deliveries of large quantities of vaccine for the coronavirus likely to be needed in the near future, these kinds of handling options are becoming more important than ever before.
“The requirements that apply to safe storage and transportation of pharmaceutical products have been evolving steadily in recent years. Pharmaceutical handling is very demanding,” said Stefan Kassau, Manager Processes & Pharma Handling at FCS.
He continued: “It requires clear and stable processes for product safety. Earning certification according to the IATA CEIV standard confirms to us and our customers the quality of FCS’s longstanding activities in this segment.
“It is the basis and incentive for continuing and building on our successful work and guaranteeing our customers that their pharmaceutical consignments will be handled safely at Frankfurt Airport.”
A smooth and uninterrupted cold chain is vital to reliable pharmaceutical logistics. Many pharmaceutical products are very sensitive to even the slightest fluctuations in temperature, and some can even lose efficacy. This makes well-trained staff essential, alongside high-performance warehouses with stable refrigeration and cooling options.
“In the course of the certification process, the FCS special warehouses were equipped with a state-of-the-art new temperature monitoring system and underwent an in-depth audit. Functionality and safety for the products was confirmed by the necessary temperature mapping activities,” said Christoph Cyranek, Manager Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement at FCS.
“As part of our preparations for the logistics involving Covid-19 vaccines that is presumably coming up, this certification comes at just the right time, of course. As the first step, we already decided to expand our existing infrastructure so even more handling space can be provided for active refrigerated containers.”
The next big step, the European Union’s good distribution practice (GDP) certification, is also coming up soon, added a spokesperson.
GDP certification for medical products for human use, like CEIV certification, serves to monitor the distribution chain with an eye to the quality and intactness of medicinal products.
Unlike CEIV certification, however, it addresses a larger segment of the economy, since GDP certification relates to the entire process of transportation from the producer through to the end customer, independent of airfreight.
Added the spokesperson: “Working in tandem with other companies based at Frankfurt Airport that also have CEIV certification, like Fraport Ground Services, a safe, high-quality transportation chain at Frankfurt Airport can be ensured between cargo and apron handlers and airlines.”
