If you are working in the medical industry, you probably already know that shipping pharmaceuticals and medicine is a delicate business. Whether you are shipping medicine cross-country, locally, or overseas. The procedure and the result should be the same, the only difference is the size of the whole project. Besides the knowledge on the subject, you should also find one of the logistics companies in Middle East to take care of your business. It is a serious topic and we will help you with the crucial info related. Let’s take a look.
Who will ship your cargo?
When we talk about shipping pharmaceuticals and medicine, it is extremely important who will handle the whole process. There are rules, regulations, and certain protocols one must follow to ship this cargo. Handling everything from point A to point B requires expertise, experience, tools, and proper equipment. Therefore, you should begin your search for a shipping company that can handle everything adequately. And because medicine must be packed, stored, and shipped carefully and under low temperatures, we suggest you use one of the temperature controlled shipping companies.
Moreover, you must be sure your shipping company possesses all the licenses and permits to operate. Which means you must do a bit of research beforehand. Check for the options available online and find yourself a trustworthy company to take care of your business. Give them a call and obtain all the necessary details. Hopefully, you won’t spend too much time and you’ll find yourself a company that fits your standards.
Why is shipping pharmaceuticals and medicine the right way so important?
Like in any distribution, you have numerous parties involved and a whole shipping chain before the medicine reaches the customer. You must know that medicine and especially prescription drugs are expensive to manufacture. This means there is a zero-tolerance for errors and the highest levels of oversight involved. Sadly, if anything goes wrong, it is usually somewhere in the middle of the shipping process. And it is usually due to poor packing practice which results in medicine being spoiled, losing potency, or becoming completely useless. And this kind of scenario will not only waste money and time, but it can endanger the environment and everyone involved. Not to mention all the additional costs related to disposing of medical waste etc.
Hence, to avoid all we mentioned and ensure your medicine and medical equipment reach the destination safely, you must find a great shipper. Be responsible as part of the chain and ensure all parties are legit and capable of completing their part of the deal.
How they do it?
Luckily, because this process is complicated and delicate, there are many rules, regulations, and laws tied to it. Of course, you won’t be doing any business with an unlicensed company in the first place. But how they do it matters as well. As we already mentioned, poor handling and packing are usually what create problems further down the line. Which can endanger the very lives of those who depend on the very medical shipment your company is handling. So, you should know that medication and medical equipment requires low temperatures or humidity requirements to be stored properly. Also, there is a delicate medication that falls into a high-risk category and requires a more delicate approach. So, take a look at how one shipment should look like and what is included:
- Manufacturer – Following all the regulations, pharmaceuticals and medicine will leave the factory in special containers and a vehicle. The next stop is the storage facility or a shipping company.
- Shipper – Upon the delivery, a shipping company representative will inspect, prepare, and approve the shipment. Shipping pharmaceuticals and medicine begins here.
- Recipient – Depending on how you handle the previous step, the recipient should do the same and store the cargo received into their designated facilities. From there, cargo is distributed across the country in order to reach the end-user.
- End-user – The customer should receive the final product labeled with all the important information. They should inspect the package to ensure everything is in order. And if all previous steps are handled with care, everything should be in perfect order.
If your company has such a chain of custody established, then you can safely do business with them. Ensure all the protocols are in place and that your cargo will reach the destination unharmed.
When shipping pharmaceuticals and medicine, what to do in case of damages?
No matter where it happened, in case of damages, you must act quickly and dispose of hazardous waste. Yes, medical waste can be highly volatile and it can pose a great danger if not handled properly. Also, there are chemicals involved that can further complicate things and endanger the environment. So, as soon as you spot the damage or any irregularities, you should report it to your supervisor or a person in charge at the site.
Note that you shouldn’t handle this situation yourself. There are specialized teams that will clear the whole situation following all the safety rules and regulations. Certainly, each company has a procedure set in place for this kind of situation. Simply notify your superior and they will engage a proper team or one of the removal companies Bahrain to resolve this issue. And we must say it again, do not do it yourself, unless you are the one handling all the equipment and knowledge to do it.
You will need all the documents in place
Finally, you must know how to handle customs clearance with a pharmaceuticals cargo. Note that everything your cargo contains should be documented. You can’t ship it without the detailed list of medicine and medical equipment you possess. Moreover, you must submit a list of ingredients, chemicals, prescriptions, dosage, etc. And this is only for the content inside. The package on the other, you must label with the quantity, weight, and a description of the content inside. And all the information should match the documentation you must submit in order to get your shipping container out. All in all, you will need a ton of paperwork and you should obtain and double-check everything before submitting it. A simple mistake can result in damages, injuries, and hefty legal action.
Ok, now you know how shipping pharmaceuticals and medicine should look like. It might sound complicated at first. But if you list down all the requirements and follow all the rules related to the process, you won’t have any troubles. Hopefully, you’ll find a proper shipping company to take care of your business. Good luck.