DACHSER Life Science and Healthcare Logistics receives GDP certification at four branches in the Americas
The logistics provider has completed successful audits for good distribution practice (GDP) in three countries throughout the Americas region. The branches in Atlanta and Chicago in the United States, Mexico City in Mexico as well as Campinas in Brazil have received the certification, ensuring that the local sites of DACHSER comply with the regulations related to safe and secure transport chains in the pharmaceutical sector.
Shipments with medicine, vaccines and other pharmaceuticals are often temperature- and time-sensitive and accompanied by complex regulatory frameworks. Here, GDP ensures DACHSER’s compliance with the strict performance and quality regulations in the lifescience and healthcare sector. The certification process consists of an audit on multiple quality aspects, including the handling and storage conditions of medicines along the entire supply chain and the proper avoidance of contamination of or by other products. Furthermore, the handling of temperature-sensitive life-science and healthcare shipments is monitored, as well as the presence of an adequate turnover of stored medicine in the respective facilities. Risk management and the quality of internal and external training of employees is part of the audits as well. The complete process is conducted by an independent party.
As an internationally recognized industry standard, the GDP certification affirms that the right products reach the right recipient within given time periods and that all medicines in the supply chain are authorized in accordance with European Union (EU) legislation. For customers, GDP compliance is therefore an industry-wide seal of quality that ensures safe supply chains in their industry.
Growing number of certified branches in the global DACHSER network
With DACHSER Life Science and Healthcare Logistics, DACHSER has many years of experience in leading and optimizing the supply chains for manufacturers of pharmaceutical products, medical technology equipment, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), OTC products, consumables, and veterinary medicines. By pairing knowledge on the strict requirements of the pharmaceutical industry with the global network of DACHSER, specific industry expertise is matched perfectly with the range of standardized logistics services of DACHSER. In the future, all DACHSER branches with relevance to the pharmaceutical sector will gradually receive GDP certification to ensure uniform supply chains in this demanding and growing segment.
“With the GDP compliance certifications in Atlanta, Chicago, Mexico City and Campinas, we continue with the certification process of DACHSER’s strategic locations around the globe that are involved in the handling and transport of life science and healthcare products. We are committed to meet and to exceed the customer, legal and product requirements of these sensitive goods along the entire supply chain,” says Netka Hohlfeld, Department Head Life Science and Healthcare Logistics at DACHSER.
In addition to the four locations in the Americas, DACHSER Life Science and Healthcare Logistics has GDP certifications in Frankfurt, Madrid, Barcelona, Mumbai and at DACHSER’s global head office in Kempten, Germany. Just recently, in October 2024, Shanghai has proven successful GDP compliance as well. Furthermore, the sites in Atlanta, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Shanghai are certified with IATA CEIV Pharma.
