storage for pharmaceutical products
cold store for pharmaceutical products

Pharmaceutical Products

The storage of pharmaceuticals needs to be arranged with utmost care. These are often perishable products which need to be stored chilled or frozen. The availability and quality have great impact on the wellbeing of people. Also, the economical value of pharmaceutical products is high.

pharmaceutical storage

Storage of medical products

For these reasons there are strict guidelines to follow when storing pharmaceutical products and medicinal products. Geerlofs Refrigeration is active in this field since many years. We have seen the various developments and are therefore able to assist in the interpretation and moreover implementation of the guidelines. An important institute is the World Health Organization WHO, which has developed the Good Storage Practices (GSP).

Demands for the storage of pharmaceutical products

Manufacturers of medicinal products define the demands for the storage. The most seen storage temperature ranges are the following three:

  • -25 ºC to -15 ºC of -30 ºC to -22 ºC
  • +2 ºC to +8 ºC
  • +15 ºC to +25 ºC

Regularly there are also demands for the relative humidity in the space where pharmaceutical products are to be stored.

These demands are in themselves not out of the ordinary. However the strictness with which these need to be followed by companies such as Geerlofs Refrigeration is. The design, installation and maintenance needs to be in line with all requirements.

  • In the design phase a Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD analysis can help to ensure the chosen set up will give a homogenous temperature throughout the storage.
  • A Quality Risk Analysis QRM, preferably needs to be executed to recognize risks in the design, and to eliminate or limit these.
  • A monitoring system using sensors which are well-placed needs to be used with pre-alarms and alarms. Reports of measured values over time need to be available.
  • 100% redundancy: backups of all (sub)systems which automatically chip in if and when needed
  • Temperature mapping is to be executed at commissioning to validate the entire system. It needs to be in line with the CFD and needs to define any possible weak spots.
  • Service organisation giving support 24/7, 365.

In addition, pharmaceutical companies are often specific in safety measures and ethics.

cold store for pharmaceutical products

References storage of medical products

We are proud to have a worked for among others following companies:

  • KLM Amsterdam Schiphol Airport: various cold stores for pharmaceuticals
  • MSD Haarlem, The Netherlands, newly built 5000 pallet storage in 3 temperature zones
  • DSV Panalpina, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
  • KWE, Kintetsu World Express, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
  • SAI Pharmaceuticals, Nairobi Kenia
  • SATS, Changi Airport Singapore, first IATA certified airport facility for pharmaceuticals in Asia

We would like to show you a film of a cold store for pharmaceutical products at our customer KLM.

The advantages of Geerlofs

  • Knowledge of your products, indispensable for a proper design of a storage for pharmaceuticals.
  • Turnkey: design, install and maintain the entire system including insulation paneling
  • Extended and tailor-made control and visualization with Gispro®, providing control, flexibility and insight.
  • Ample experience in designing, building and maintenance of refrigeration technology:continuity and reliability at low cost