Are "cold chains" only cold?

The stereotype is that we only talk about 2-8 degrees C at the Cold Chain Distribution for Pharmaceuticals Global Forum. More and more each year, companies are focusing on overall transportation strategies as a part of their global logistics. Most drugs are temperature controlled in some way - whether it's 2-8, 8-15, CRT, ambient, ultra-cold or some other temperature profile. And if the product isn't temperature controlled, it's still important to understand trends in supply chain management.

The major challenges for a cold chain hold true for all distribution operations:

• Transportation and import/export security
• Devising contingency plans with transportation partners
• Quality management of air freight
• New RFID technology offering visibility through all legs of the chain
• Green packaging initiatives to reduce footprint

Many people have speculations about the future of temperature controlled supply chains. One recent report by Pharmaceutical Commerce estimates that "7 of the top 10 global pharma products in 2014 will require cold-chain handling." So cold processes are becoming an integral part of any operations. But, there are still many practices and learnings that we can share across temperature profiles.

If you want more information about cold, ambient, CRT or other temperature profiles, check us out at www.coldchainpharma.com.