When it comes to shipping temperature-sensitive products the most important of all may be medical products. These run the gamut from important vaccines, to oral medications in liquid, pill and capsule form, or even salves and lotions meant to be directly applied to skin. In all cases, however, it’s important to understand that shipping temperature-sensitive products like medical products falls into three specific temperature ranges. These are the temperature-zones to keep in mind.
Read more: Medical Products Fall Into Three Temperature GradesFrozen
This the most rare range for shipping temperature-sensitive products of a medical nature. Most medical products will be damaged at temperatures at or below the freezing point, but there are a few important exceptions that need this type of cooling. Plasma, for example, is a critical biological medical component that is best preserved at freezing temperatures. Cryopreservation for fertility treatments, such as frozen eggs or semen also require extremely low temperatures.
Refrigerated
By far the most common temperature range, refrigeration can be crucial for shipping temperature-sensitive products of a medical or pharmaceutical nature. This temperature range is above freezing, though not by much. This temperature range typically sits between 2-8℃, or 36-46℉. The majority of medications, pills, pharmaceuticals and vaccines will remain optimal at this temperature during shipping.
CRT
CRT in this case stands for “Controlled Room Temperature,” and over 30% of medical and pharmaceutical products fall into this range. It’s important to note that the lower end of the CRT range may fall into refrigeration, as this range sits between 2-40℃, or 36-104℉. Depending on the product and its needs, this could mean that the product needs no additional temperature-protection at all, may benefit from from precautionary insulation to maintain and optimal temperature, or may require refrigeration or comprehensive passive protection.
Proper Management
What this means is that you, as a business owner, must know the strengths and vulnerabilities of your medical product, and understand what it takes for them to arrive safely at their destination. Some products in the upper end of the CRT range may only require physical protection, while frozen samples will need a reefer unit throughout most of the shipping and may even need some kind of passive insulation protection for those portions of the logistics chain when they are removed from refrigeration and are vulnerable to to temperature changes.
If you’re shipping temperature-sensitve products and want guidance on the optimal way to ship them to their destination, we can help. Contact us to discuss your shipping needs and obtain a quote.
