Air France, KLM, and Martinair held a second cool chain industry gathering targeting France (last year it targeted the Netherlands) on January 21, 2015, and invited a diverse group of shippers, forwarders, and consultants led by Renate de Walle, director Product Market Group, Pharmaceutical Logistics, Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo.
     Earlier, Renate had signaled the need for this gathering, telling Pharma publisher Samedan:
     “Fuelled by rising global demand, I think that the importance of pharma logistics in meeting tighter regulations—such as those involved in temperature management—will become increasingly important.
     “Over the next decade, parties in the cold chain will also have to respond to the changing market landscape, such as implementing a direct-to-market approach for specialty products, and value-focused approaches for generics.
     “In addition, the further development of personalized medicines will have implications for the whole logistics industry.”
     The AF/KL/MP event was hands-on, including visits in warehouse facilities at CDG that included the always chilling experience of ducking in and out of seven temperature controlled & monitored cooled rooms, plus live demonstrations of specialized containers utilized to transport pharma-shipments via AF/KL/MP all over the world.
     During the afternoon, various specialists provided an interactive presentation on regulatory aspects and processes aimed at understanding exactly what it takes to ship and handle pharma.
     Andrea Gruber, IATA senior manager, Specialized Cargo, shared some thoughts about Good Distribution Practices (GDP) and on the necessity to be compliant with guidelines issued to handle pharma, which within a few years will be ‘requirements.’ She also emphasized the importance of cool chain integrity—one of the main challenges—and the collaborative approach based on increased transparency.
(Geoffrey)