News

Pharmaserv Logistics’ new pharma airfreight hub and distribution centre in Gross-Gerau has been successfully inspected by the Darmstadt District Council and thus been approved as a storage facility for temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products. The Marburg-based pharmaceutical logistics service provider now operates another 8,600 m² of sophisticated pharmaceutical logistics space near the airport.

A comprehensive quality management system is necessary for storing pharmaceutical products and there are also various other requirements that must be complied with. The pharmaceutical logistics service provider that specialises in the area of biologics (blood products, vaccinations and insulins) has realised a complex storage concept that more than meets these requirements.

In addition to high security standards ensured with fences, a manned gate, access control and video monitoring, the new premises are also equipped with special cold docks that are designed to ensure an uninterrupted cooling chain. It goes without saying that the new Pharmaserv Logistics facility also meets the other usual requirements of the industry, such as pest control, temperature monitoring and a validated warehouse management system. The warehouse also features a sprinkler system and a special floor design that allows for the storage of water-hazardous materials.

Two thirds of the available warehouse space are operated at temperatures between +15° and +25°C. One third of the space is available for storage at temperatures ranging between +2° and +8°C. A generous deep-freeze room is integrated into the cold-storage area to allow for cool packs to be conditioned for airfreight shipping with passive packaging. To allow for actively cooled airfreight containers to also be loaded in a temperature-controlled setting in the future, a dedicated roller track will be added to the qualified storage building within the next few weeks.

In the future, Pharmaserv Logistics is planning to operate an x-ray machine in a GDP environment with temperatures ranging between +15° and +25°C, to enable companies that do not hold the airfreight security status as “known consignor” to also send airfreight in a safe manner. The route from the cold-storage area to the x-ray machine and the roller track is kept as short as possible, to allow for products requiring temperatures of +2° to +8°C to also be x-rayed and packed.

“By handling goods via our pharma airfreight hub in direct vicinity of Frankfurt Airport, we are going to reduce the number of interfaces in the airfreight chain, giving rise to a more secure and transparent process. In addition to this, we are able to offer our customers further storage and transport solutions from a single source,” explains Dr. Martin Egger, Managing Director Logistics at Pharmaserv.