Did you know? The global pharmaceutical logistics market size was valued at a massive USD 78.5 billion in 2021 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6% from 2022 to 2030. While logistics has always had a prominent role to play here, it is now more critical than ever.
Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the world are putting healthcare facilities and medicinal supplies on top of their priorities. Handling the increasing demand and safely delivering the products is a challenge.
If one wants to supply medicines in India, they not only need to comply with the rules and regulations but also need a lot of expertise in handling them. What we’re dealing with here is the health of the patients.
This makes such shipments even more valuable, to the extent that one needs to continuously make it a point that the cargo is not exposed to anything that would render a drug less effective or make it harmful for the patients. For example, temperature, humidity, light, and the like.
That is why one needs to set the highest level of standards when it comes to logistics. Let’s look at some of the best possible ways to supply medicines in India.
Know Your Products
Here’s a golden rule. Always know your products inside out. Which ones out of them are sensitive to variations in temperature, which ones are unlikely to survive excessive humidity and moisture, and which ones call for a “Fragile-Handle with care” sort of treatment?
Obviously, you won’t be able to manage anything if you don’t know it. This is easier said than done as it is something that is often overlooked. If you know your shipments are temperature sensitive, you’d always use refrigerated or insulated trucks, freezers, or refrigerant gel packs, right?
Secure Your Cargo
To supply medicines in India can be risky. In a country with such diverse weather conditions and terrain from region to region, you just know there will be many ups and downs in the journey. So you struggle to be 100% confident about the safety of your medical supplies.
It is always a good idea to opt for a security cover for your shipments. Before making your decision, check whether it ticks all the boxes. What all does it cover? Damage, loss, theft, or all of them? Also, make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully.
Pay Attention to Packaging
Pharmaceuticals often have specific packaging requirements that vary depending on the nature of the drugs. The packaging of prescription drugs is highly regulated. They require particular information, labels and inserts. The container must be tamper-evident (such as using blister packs and child-resistant lids).
Since some drugs can be sensitive to temperature changes, humidity, light, shock and vibration, the packaging material must be strong enough to prevent physical damage. The exterior packaging, though, should be discreet, drawing no attention to the contents.
On the other hand, non-prescription or over-the-counter medicines don’t need any packaging rules as such. Still, package them well to reduce any exposure to extreme temperatures or product damage and to keep them intact.
Generally, packaging materials such as corrugated shipping boxes, biodegradable air pillows, and insulated foam coolers are used to supply medicines in India.
Choose the Right Shipping Solution
Never trust your medical shipments to just any transportation service provider. Your courier partner must ensure compliance with all the requisite licenses and permits needed to prepare and deliver pharmaceutical shipments.
It is rather beneficial to have multiple options, allowing you to compare different courier partners based on their cost, reach, reliability, insurance, speed and more. If you’re a B2B business, tech-based cargo shipping platforms like Shiprocket Cargo enable you to choose between multiple carriers and supply medicines in India at affordable costs.
Track Shipments Regularly
Keep track of your shipments, always. To ensure your valuable shipments remain safe and sound, you need crystal clear visibility every step of the way. This becomes easier if you use a live order tracking system that is capable of triggering real-time updates through SMS, email or any other communication channel.
To sum it up, every business might have its own way of streamlining its logistics operations to stay in line with the special requirements medicines bring with them. However, one of the best ways to supply medicines in India is to stick to the regulatory requirements as well as the best practices. When people are counting on your medical shipments, always choose a service provider that you can trust.
