Summertime Heat and Shipping Your Perishable Medications

A recent hot topic, no pun intended, on social media and via our phone line involves how Doc Lane’s handles shipping in hot weather. Intense heat presents a unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to shipping sensitive items such as pharmaceuticals with specific temperature requirements. To ensure these items reach their destination in optimal condition, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the shipping process.

A key consideration is the temperature range at which the products should be stored. For pharmaceuticals, there are specific temperature ranges that must be maintained during long-term storage to ensure product stability. For example, frozen items should be kept between -25 to -10 degrees Celsius, refrigerated items between 2-8 degrees Celsius, and controlled room temperature items between 20-25 degrees Celsius.

To combat the effects of hot weather during shipping, we use insulated foam, insulated bubble wrap, and/or Styrofoam cooler boxes to ensure proper temperature during transport of sensitive items. Frozen medications are packaged with dry ice, and frozen gel packs are added to orders containing refrigerated products. Frozen items, and sometimes refrigerated items, are usually recommended for overnight shipping, particularly during times of intense heat, to minimize the time they spend outside of a controlled freezer/refrigerator environment.

Pharmacist Kerry Nesbitt adds, “We validate our shipping processes/packaging in all temperature ranges (frozen, refrigerated, and room temperature) twice yearly during extreme temperature ranges (summer and winter) to ensure the packaging Doc Lane’s uses can keep products within the appropriate temperature ranges. We use temperature/time data loggers that track time and temperature every minute, and these trackers are calibrated to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) specifications. Once uploaded to a computer, the data from the tracker is displayed in a graph, which allows us to determine whether the packaging kept the preparation in the appropriate temperature range for a specific time frame.”

If a customer receives a product that arrives at room temperature or warmer, but is supposed to be kept refrigerated or frozen, it is important to contact us directly at 888-263-2323 to discuss product stability and potential replacement. By taking these precautions and implementing proper shipping practices, Doc Lane’s ensures that sensitive items arrive at their destination in optimal condition, despite any weather extremes!