Worldwide cold chains for the pharmaceutical industry certified for transport, logistics and e-commerce sector

Logistics services provider GROUP7 gained its GDP certification recently, when the German testing company DEKRA certified the company’s “good distribution practice” for its logistics and forwarding services as well as the e-commerce segment. After the successful audit of its operating and management processes, which apply to international transports, logistics and e-commerce of pharmaceutical products, GROUP7 received confirmation that the services it offers its customers from the pharmaceutical industry meet the highest standards. „The GDP certificate is a milestone for GROUP7 and boosts our activities in pharma and healthcare logistics”, comments GROUP7 Managing Director Günther Jocher. From now on, GROUP7 can transport sensitive pharmaceutical products worldwide even under the most stringent conditions. For example, the provider can organize the shipment of goods that require a consistent temperature of -20° Celsius along the entire length of the cool chain.

GDP to expand pharmaceutical product range at GROUP7

GROUP7 is no newcomer to the pharmaceutical industry. Even before the GDP certification, the logistics service provider was active in all parts of the supply chain from pre-carriage, air and ocean freight to onward carriage and distribution for customers in the medical sector. The products handled so far included accessories, dressing materials and medical products. “The inquiries of our customers and worldwide partners have prompted us to take this new step. At the same time, ensuring the cold chain across several stations means a great responsibility for us. Standing up for the health of many people motivates us to do our best. I noticed this during the project,” says Jocher about the reasons for the GDP certificate.

6 member team responsible for GDP implementation

14-page quality agreements with subcontractors, risk analyses, process instructions, cleaning concepts, emergency plans: the certificate demanded high standards. The project lasted one year, including all preparations such as further training for the employees. “To be well prepared for the audit, we put together a 6 member team for the challenge GDP. This team will continue to ensure the transfer of know-how throughout the company,” explains Thomas Wiederspahn, Head of Quality Management at GROUP7.

Direct flights and temperature-controlled intermediate storage for airfreight

The primary goal of GROUP7 is to meet the specific requirements for the proper transport of sensitive pharmaceutical products. “In the sector of airfreight, for example, we ensure that the goods are not subjected to an X-ray process if the product does not allow it. Here we benefit from many years of experience, because the selection of a suitable airline also plays a significant role. For temperature-sensitive products, we choose direct flights whenever possible. At the airport of destination, we provide appropriate storage facilities to ensure that the specified temperature range is maintained,” says Wiederspahn. For GROUP7, additional flexibility was required during the audit phase due to the corona virus: online interviews and online inspections were part of the certification process.