Deliveries from pharmaceutical reps and specialty pharmacies have the same temperature stability needs as long haul shipments. The difference is they need to be easily transported by individuals to multiple locations and keep that temperature stable through multiple openings. For this reason, a new breed of soft sided carriers has become the new norm in same day delivery.
The new the TempTrust soft side carrier, for example, has been pre-qualified for both 2 to 8 C and 15 to 25 C temperature ranges for 10 hours with multiple openings.
But, just because a packaging system has been pre-qualified and given a specific set of SOPs, does not mean there are not additional tips to help your pack-out extend its temperature stability duration. Below are a set of helpful tips we have assembled to help you extend the performance of your cooler to its optimum.
- Pack your soft cooler as much product as possible (within reason). The product carries its own thermal inertia and the more product mass available, the longer the entire contents of the cooler will remain within the specified temperature range.
- Make sure the items you pack in your soft carrier are cool from the start. Moving them directly from a cool environment to the insulated carrier will assure that the items surrounding them are not affected. By doing this, the PCMs will last longer, since they won’t be wasted trying to cool down warmer items.
- Limit air exposure (opening and closing) your cooler when possible. The cooler is qualified for a certain number of openings, so the fewer times you open it, the longer the product will stay at a stable temperature.
- Have products available in order of use, this limits opening time and also prevents the shuffling around of items.
- If possible, you should prechill the cooler itself to extend the temperature stability of your PCM or precondition the cooler by keeping it in same area as the product.
- It may seem obvious to make sure you zip your cooler up to reduce temperature loss, but you should also use the side buckles or straps when your cooler is not open. Using the buckles creates a seal in the insulation and ensure products stay at the temperature for as long as possible.
- For products requiring a 2 – 8 C temperature range or in the summer, it’s best to find a cool, shady spot for your carrier/cooler. Don’t just leave it in the trunk of your car or in the hot sun. Keep it with you.
- For multiple reasons, you should not use ice for your refrigerant, but one you may not have thought of is that ice and loose products can be damaging to the products inside soft side coolers; go with pre-qualified refrigerants instead and follow the pack-out instructions provided.
We hope you find this list useful and gives a better idea on how to make your soft-sided carrier keep a stable temperature as long as possible. If you have any questions about packing your products for same day deliveries, feel free to call our ISTA 7E certified lab or contact us today.
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