8 Key Considerations for Pharmaceutical Warehousing

Pharmaceuticals encompass a large assortment of medical products. Those that are essential to health services, ranging from life-saving vaccines to critical medications. Products that are crucial in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases. Because of this, they require extremely precise and secure storage. So, when it comes to pharmaceutical warehousing, maintaining a balance between precision, security, and operational efficiency is integral.  

Pharmaceutical warehouses are specifically designed to have a controlled environment. One where the conditions are maintain to protect the quality and safety of the pharmaceuticals. 

In order to maintain these conditions, it is crucial that the warehouse accommodates controlled temperature and humidity levels. In addition, pharmaceutical warehouses must ensure product quality and safety by adhering to strict regulations. Regulations such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Distribution Practices (GDP).

Since pharmaceutical products are also often highly valuable and sensitive, these warehouses must have strong security measures in place. Measures that prevent tampering.

Key Features That Every Pharmaceutical Warehousing Management System Should Have

The pharmaceutical industry’s strict regulations create a variety of individual requirements for each product. For this reason, pharmaceutical warehouses must be sufficiently equipped to manage all of these needs.

In order to ensure efficient and effective warehouse management for pharmaceuticals, a strong warehouse management system (WMS) is key. The following are some of the most essential features that every pharmaceutical warehousing management system should have:

• Lot and batch tracking

Lot and batch tracking is vital in the pharmaceutical industry. Tracking ensures that products do not get mixed up, while tracing quality and safety issues. Therefore, it is key that the warehouse’s WMS system tracks the lot and batch numbers of each product.

• Expiry date management

Like many food products, pharmaceuticals often have expiration dates. The effectiveness and safety of the pharmaceuticals will be compromised if these products are not used before the expiration dates.

The warehouse’s WMS must manage the expiry dates of all stored products. This will ensure that expired items are never shipped to customers. An effective WMS should also alert warehouse staff when pharmaceutical products are approaching their expiry dates.

• Serialized inventory management

When it comes to pharmaceuticals, serialized inventory management is a must. This method tracks each product through the supply chain with a unique serial number. Thus, the WMS must be able to assign serial numbers to each product in storage. Then it must track these numbers.

• Real-time inventory visibility

Another feature that every pharmaceutical warehouse’s WMS should have is real-time inventory visibility. This will help to ensure that the management of stock is precise, timely, and compliant with regulatory requirements.

Such visibility will prevent stockouts and overstocking. This will ensure critical products are available when needed and minimize waste due to expired or obsolete stock.

• Automated picking and packing

It also helps to have a WMS that can enable automated product picking and packing. Such automation will positively impact the warehouse’s overall efficiency and accuracy. This system will direct warehouse workers to the necessary areas for picking products and shows how to properly pack them.

• Audit trails and compliance reporting

In order to stay on top of all regulatory requirements, a warehouse’s WMS must provide audit trails and compliance reporting. 

• Order management

A robust Warehouse Management System (WMS) efficiently handles customer orders from the moment they are placed until they are shipped. In addition, this kind of functionality enables the real-time tracking of orders. It also alerts customers when there are issues such as delays.

• Reporting and analytics

Data reporting and analytics are essential for identifying when a pharmaceutical warehouse’s processes need improvement. This is why it is important for a WMS also to have such features. This information shows the areas for improvement so it is much easier to make informed business decisions.

Other Important Things to Have in Pharmaceutical Warehouses

In addition to a solid WMS, a proper pharmaceutical warehouse needs various other essential features.

For instance, these facilities require ample security measures to protect the valuable and sensitive products stored within. 

This will include:

• Surveillance.
• Access control.
• Intrusion detection systems.

Of course, it is also critical to have various forms of refrigeration on site. This will ensure the proper storage of temperature-sensitive items.

Why Wills Transfer Limited Is an Ideal Pharmaceutical Warehousing Provider

If you are in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution industry, and you need a reliable warehouse that is equipped with a warehousing management system that can handle the various necessities mentioned above, look no further than Wills Transfer Limited.

We understand the importance of maintaining an optimal storage environment for pharmaceutical products. 

We use the most advanced logistical applications, including our state-of-the-art warehousing management system. Our WMS facilitates smooth and seamless inventory management at all times. 

In addition to our top-notch WMS, our warehouses also contain ample refrigerated storage options to accommodate the needs of your temperature-sensitive products. Our temperature-tracking system constantly monitors the air temperature within our fridges using thermographic data

We are also dedicated to maintaining a high level of security on all of our premises at all times, which is why our facilities are equipped with 24-hour security systems, interior and exterior surveillance, and restricted access points. 

To top things off, we offer a wide spectrum of logistics services, including everything from pick and pack services and asset tagging to cross-docking and shunting services. So, no matter the scale of your operation, there are numerous ways we can help enhance your operational efficiency.

For more information about our warehousing management system, or to learn more about the various warehousing services we have to offer, call Wills Transfer Limited at 613-704-7549 or contact us here.