Before a temperature-sensitive medicine leaves the dispatch point, confirm its labelled storage and transport conditions, the approved pack-out, monitoring plan, route hand-offs and dispatch records. A reusable gel pack can be one component of a shipment, but its product name or weight does not prove a medicine will remain within its required conditions.
DRAP’s Good Distribution Practices for Pharmaceutical and Biological Drug Products (effective 1 March 2023) says controlled-temperature deliveries should follow the applicable storage and transport conditions. It also describes information to record at dispatch. Use your organization’s current procedures and the responsible product owner’s requirements for each shipment.
Preparing a shipment or sourcing gel packs? Keep the shipment brief below. If you are comparing reusable gel packs or pads for a qualified pack-out, send PlastoCraft the exact pack space, quantity, route and buyer requirements to confirm catalogue details and current B2B terms.
Seven checks before dispatch
- Read the product’s labelled conditions. Confirm the specific product’s required storage and transport conditions with its authorized product owner. Do not assume that all medicines require the same temperature range.
- Confirm the approved handling procedure. Make sure dispatch, quality and transport teams are working from the same current instruction, including what to do if a shipment is delayed or a temperature excursion occurs.
- Identify the exact pack-out. Record the insulated container, usable internal dimensions, liner or barrier arrangement, payload layout, coolant-pack item and placement, and any preparation steps. Use the procedure approved for that configuration.
- Check route and hand-offs. Write down origin, destination, planned dispatch and receipt windows, transport provider, scheduled transfers and the people responsible at each handover. Include a realistic delay and escalation path.
- Set up temperature monitoring. Follow the organization’s monitoring procedure for the shipment. Confirm the device or method is suitable for the process, is ready for use and will be reviewed by the receiving team. Record the monitoring instructions in the dispatch brief.
- Prepare the dispatch record. Include the product and consignment details, applicable storage/transport conditions, transport entity and recipient contact details. Link the shipment to the internal pack-out or SOP reference used.
- Agree receipt and exception handling. Tell the receiving site who checks the shipment, where monitoring results go, what to do if records are missing or conditions are outside limits, and who can decide product disposition.
Dispatch records: fields to capture
DRAP’s GDP guideline describes a dispatch record that includes the drug product name; batch number(s) and manufacturing/expiry dates; dosage form and quantity; dispatch date; entity responsible for transportation; applicable transport and storage conditions; business name and address; recipient status such as retail pharmacy or hospital; telephone number and contact names; and a unique delivery-order identifier.
For controlled-temperature deliveries, add or cross-reference the approved shipment pack-out and monitoring record used by your organization. The exact records and retention process should follow your current quality procedures and applicable requirements.
What to document about the gel-pack configuration
When the approved packaging design uses reusable gel packs or pads, identify the exact product and configuration rather than writing only “ice pack.” Keep a copy of the supplier’s current specifications and applicable preparation instructions with the pack-out documentation.
- Product name, SKU, material, weight and dimensions; mark any unlisted detail as pending confirmation.
- Insulated container name or reference, internal dimensions and usable pack spaces.
- Pack count and placement from the approved pack-out, plus preparation instructions for the exact pack.
- Payload, planned route and the intended monitoring method.
- Supporting evidence or qualification reference for the complete setup, where required by your quality process.
For vaccine carriers, WHO’s PQS information is specifically about prequalified equipment and coolant packs. Its E005 guidance says pack sizes should suit the cold box or vaccine carrier. This does not mean every reusable gel pack sold for a vaccine-box application is WHO-prequalified; confirm the exact product’s status and use the selected device’s instructions. See WHO E005: Coolant packs.
A one-page shipment brief to share with your team
Product and required conditions: ___
Payload and quantity: ___
Approved container and pack-out reference: ___
Gel-pack product, size, count and preparation: ___
Origin, destination and planned transit window: ___
Transport provider and hand-off contacts: ___
Monitoring and receiving instructions: ___
Delay or temperature-excursion escalation contact: ___
Delivery-order reference: ___
PlastoCraft gel packs and pads for shipment planning
PlastoCraft’s catalogue includes reusable ice gel pouches for medicine transport and a gel pad listed for vaccine boxes. Catalogue details can help identify a product to discuss with your packaging and quality teams, but they do not establish a qualified medicine-shipping configuration. For example, the vaccine-box pad is listed at Rs 110 and has no dimensions or weight shown. Confirm the exact size, preparation, stock and price before evaluating fit. Review the vaccine-box pad fit guide, the medicine transport pouch guide and the ice gel pack catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Does DRAP give one temperature range for every medicine shipment?
No. Follow the applicable labelled storage and transport conditions for the specific product and the current procedure approved by its responsible product owner.
Do gel packs alone validate a medicine shipment?
No. A gel pack is one component. The packaging configuration, payload, monitoring, route and handling process must be assessed together under the responsible organization’s quality process.
What should a receiving team check?
Follow the approved receiving procedure: identify the consignment, review the required condition and monitoring records, record any exception, and escalate it to the designated quality contact.
Official guidance
- DRAP: Good Distribution Practices for Pharmaceutical and Biological Drug Products (effective 1 March 2023).
- WHO: E005 coolant packs.
For current pack availability and B2B pricing, contact PlastoCraft with the carton dimensions, required volume, route and the product-owner instructions that apply to your shipment. For the supplier enquiry fields, use our pharma gel-pack RFQ checklist.