The airspace over Europe may have opened again, but the problems may just be beginning for the pharmaceutical supply chain. "The question is what has happened to materials while they have been waiting to be sent," notes Philip Payne, of RSSL Pharma.
"The statistics from the regulatory authorities tell us that even when the supply chain operates as normal, there are errors made in handling and storage that can damage the integrity of finished products, APIs and excipients. Common issues are storage at the wrong temperatures, or boxes being stored in places and positions that are not appropriate. When the distribution industry is under stress as it has been in the past few days, who knows what has been happening to items delivered to an airport where warehouses are already full because nothing has been leaving."
RSSL Pharma's laboratories have often been called in to investigate problems arising from inappropriate storage of products. "We've investigated a whole host of matters such as chemical degradation, packaging contamination and insect infestation," says Philip. RSSL Pharma also runs training courses in Good Distribution Practice, at which tutors often present case studies of serious malpractice in handling and storage. "It is often at the interface between different suppliers where problems occur," adds Philip. "During the recent uncertainty, it's easy to imagine pharmaceutical products being left in inappropriate conditions while the various parties decide what should be done, and where the products can be stored until the air freight system was up and running again."