Healthcare industry banks on logistics for safe, efficient and timely deliveries, notes Brazilian government official

Getting medicinal products from A to B in tamper-proof, cold-chain conditions requires highly efficient global supply chains. Logistics is essential for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, as commercial and regulatory experts increasingly realize. This was underlined by Brazilian authorities during the recent opening of Panalpina’s healthcare logistics center in Cajamar, São Paulo.

“The healthcare industry in general realized that logistics companies have made it possible for their products to reach their destinations safely, efficiently and expeditiously,” said Dirceu Barbano, former president of Brazil’s National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), which regulates medicines, medical devices and other healthcare products and technologies. “This sector is always seeking new technologies and new business models, which brings about all the changes that are occurring in the market.”

Barbano was discussing the new law related to healthcare warehousing and distribution of pharmaceutical goods in Brazil, in an exclusive presentation at the opening ceremony of Panalpina’s new healthcare logistics center in Cajamar, São Paulo. About 80 people, including customers and regulatory authorities, attended the event and toured the facility.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony was Adriano Pitoli, São Paulo (SP) representative of Brazil’s Industry Development, Commerce, Services & Innovation Secretariat (SDIC). Pitoli provided an economic outlook for the Brazilian market and stressed that the country should begin to move toward a more significant recovery in the second half of 2019.

“There is an expectation of 2 percent growth on average in 2019 and in the coming years, but with the approval of important political reforms that are relevant to the country, the upside potential can increase much more,” said Pitoli.

Panalpina Brazil is naturally keen to be part of this economic upswing and the new facility marks that optimism. The temperature-controlled warehouse expands Panalpina’s operations in the healthcare segment and enables the international freight forwarding and logistics company to meet the cold chain needs of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry in Brazil.

The facility in Cajamar, São Paulo, spans 4,000 m² and has three cold chambers: the first at -20° C, the second with temperatures between 2° C and 8° C, and the third one between 15° C and 25° C. It is capable of housing various types of temperature-controlled goods such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and related products. Audits are underway to certify the facility according to Good Distribution Practice (GDP). Panalpina currently has 37 GDP-certified locations around the globe and expects to get over 10 additional sites certified in 2019.

“Panalpina Brazil is determined to offer reliable end-to-end solutions for this sector and this new temperature-controlled warehouse complements our multimodal international transport options,” says Panalpina’s managing director in Brazil, Marcelo Caio Bartolini D’Arco.