Just like you expect a McDonald’s burger to look and taste the same wherever you are in the world, you would also hope for the same high level of operational quality when it comes to pharmaceutical supply chain logistics. Particularly in the case of commodities that greatly impact the health of patients around the world. DB Schenker recently completed Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards certification at 157 of its stations. DB Schenker is now one of the world’s largest GDP-compliant logistics networks, and can cover 80% of the world’s healthcare flows with these certificates – particularly across the most important markets for the global trade of medical goods: the Americas, Europe and Asia. And it plans to have over 180 of its stations certified within the next twelve months. With this seal of approval that denotes the company’s commitment to excellence and regulatory compliance, DB Schenker secures greater standing and is clearly equipped to the global pharmaceutical industry’s growing requirements. Its in-house Global Healthcare Quality Management System addresses the Good Distribution Practices for medicinal products for human and veterinary use and related active substances as set out by the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and ensures compliance through its internal Directive Healthcare Quality Management.
“When DB Schenker started the implementation process for certification, the first goal was to define a global standard valid for all transport modes. This made the GDP certificate suitable. The comprehensive certification ensures that the process, infrastructure, and staffing comply with the stringent requirements of the pharmaceutical industry, using this ideal approach across all business units. After a station is awarded certification following successful completion of an internal certification process, a risk-based re-audit is performed based on continuously measured KPIs. This is repeated at least every 3 years to ensure the highest quality is maintained,” the release details.
Veronique Dameme, Head of Global Vertical Market Healthcare at DB Schenker, said: “At the end of every healthcare supply chain there is a patient. That’s why we ensure that medical products are stored and distributed in accordance with the highest standards. The successful GDP certification of our facilities marks a significant milestone on our roadmap and shows our ongoing pursuit of excellence in pharmaceutical logistics.”
