DHL's Life Sciences and Healthcare network reaches new quality standard
Key DHL Air Thermonet facilities gain IATA CEIV Pharma Certification
DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche Post DHL Group, is working with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to raise the bar in the transport of pharmaceuticals by implementing IATA’s CEIV Pharma Certification across its key facilities globally.
The DHL Global Forwarding station in Brussels, Belgium has already been awarded the CEIV Pharma Certification, which encompasses IATA Temperature Control Regulations (TCR), European Union Goods Distribution Practices (EU GDP), World Health Organization Annex 5 and United States Pharmacopeia Standards.
In the first phase, the DHL plans for 30 of its Air Thermonet GDP-compliant stations to be certified worldwide.
The project will be conducted in close coordination between DHL and IATA. The assessments are expected to start in the third quarter of this year.
'As global demand for structurally complex, temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products grows, the life sciences and healthcare sector faces the challenges of increasingly stricter regulations and the need for smart cold chains that can secure product integrity and patients’ safety,' said David Bang, Global Head of DHL Temperature Management Solutions, DHL Global Forwarding. 'The IATA CEIV certification is yet another initiative within part of our continuous improvement activities to ensure our network is up to the latest quality standard.'
Glyn Hughes, IATA Global Head of Cargo, added: 'DHL’s commitment to join the CEIV pharma programme and certify its key global Thermonet facilities is good news for customers who can have even more confidence that their life-saving and temperature-sensitive products will be delivered in impeccable condition.'