Detection key to product integrity
Pharmaceutical companies depend enormously on cold storage to keep their products safe and ready for sale, says Stonegate Instruments MD Shaun Evers.
Wastage remains high in the industry, with 25% of vaccines degraded by the time they reach their destination because of failures in cold storage, and 20% of temperature-dependent drugs damaged because of a broken cold chain.
Pharmaceutical depletion can occur for a number of reasons. Equipment failure, improper maintenance work, ineffective temperature control, mechanical damage and accidental release of refrigerant gases can all lead to high levels of product loss. In fact, a leak percentage of just 20% in refrigerant systems can lead to an 11% reduction in efficiency in a typical cold store – greatly increasing the likelihood of damaged pharmaceutical goods.
A gas detection system can help ensure that leaks are identified and repaired at the earliest opportunity. This not only minimises the risk to the health and safety of employees, but is also a legal requirement as part of the EU F-Gas Regulations.
Stonegate’s DL1024 gas detection system can be programmed to detect a wide range of both toxic and non-toxic gases, including HFCs, accommodating up to 24 remote refrigerant sensors. The sensors are arranged in three zones of eight channels, with four relay outputs for signalling an alarm, one for each zone.
LED colours indicate the presence and status of each sensor, and any sensed gas leak sends an audio and visual alarm to alert staff members immediately so that the problem can be quickly rectified.
Even a minor drop or gain in temperature can lead to potentially costly pharmaceutical spoilage, meaning temperature control technology is a vital tool for the industry. Efficient thermometers linked to audio and visual alarms that warn staff of variants are essential to both monitor the temperature of the cold store and the temperature of the pharmaceuticals stored inside. At its most basic this could be a compact digital thermometer designed to be used with a thermistor probe across a range of plus or minus 50˚C, which will constantly display the temperature. Probes can be wall mounted or hand-held and chosen for their suitability in wash down areas.
Despite the high number of pharmaceuticals wasted annually worldwide, the solution is quite simple, the use of sophisticated temperature monitoring and gas detection systems. Through the implementation of such technologies corporations can not only ensure spoilage is reduced, but also limit the costs associated with such product loss. And with a payback period of less than two years, installing such technologies in cold storage offers a simple solution for companies across the industry.
