Healthcare cold chain logistics services have many challenges. Most medical shipments arrive at the final destination intact, largely due to the constant vigilance on the part of refrigerated transportation companies.  

They work hard to overcome challenges including:

• Temperature consistency
• Training and expertise
• Global distribution challenges
• External risks

Shippers that need to use temperature controlled transport services should be aware of these issues to avoid any unforeseen surprises. 

Temperature Consistency

Maintaining a consistent temperature for medicines and vaccines is important, but extremely difficult. Healthcare items can have a very narrow range in which they remain viable. Therefore, it’s essential that trailers, containers, and warehouse are able to maintain appropriate temperatures. 

Moving products between storage areas, vehicles, and final destinations can lead to temperature fluctuations if not managed carefully. Therefore, many refrigerated transportation companies have to implement seamless transition protocols to make sure healthcare supplies remain in a constant temperature. 

Training and Expertise

Training for healthcare cold chain logistics is rigorous. If a company can’t find workers with the expertise, they’ll have to train their employees. Ensuring that all personnel involved are adequately prepared for handling temperature-sensitive healthcare items is crucial.

The medical cold chain of logistics industry is always changing, with new tech constantly being released. Personnel need continuous training to stay updated with the latest techniques and technologies.

Global Distribution Challenges

When it comes to shipping healthcare items internationally, there are even more  challenges that shippers will face. Different countries or regions may have unique rules governing the transportation of medical products. When moving healthcare goods overseas, guidelines must be . 

Other global healthcare logistics problem include:

• Infrastructure limitations
• Transit times

Ports in other countries might not have the technology to maintain the cold chain, especially in remote or underdeveloped regions. Other problems include long transit times, which increases the likelihood of temperature fluctuations could take place. 

External Risks

Finally, there are various external risks that can complicate healthcare cold chain logistics. While there are preparations that can be taken, certain random factors can be hard to always account for.. 

These include:

• Natural disasters
• Power outages
• Theft or tampering

Numerous weather and natural disasters can occur during shipping. Whether it’s hurricanes or earthquakes, these events can delay a shipment of medical goods. Power outages are another issue in cold chain logistics. 

When this happens, it’s nearly guaranteed that medical products will go bad. High-value healthcare items might be targets for theft, necessitating secure transportation methods. Due to these attacks, it’s possible for entire shipments to be lost.