Ambitious plans
Transporting and warehousing pharmaceutical products of all types has assumed an even more important role in the logistics supply chain of late – especially in the wake of the global outbreak of Covid-19. Turkey is a key player in the field.
Ralph Hemmerling, the director of business development and special projects with the Turkish enterprise Fevzi Gandur Logistics, reported recently that "Turkey sells pharmaceutical products to no less than 154 countries on all six continents. With demand for medicines rising all around the world, on account of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s exports thereof have increased by more than 27% of late."
Shipping and storing medicines are actually the most delicate parts of the job of managing pharmaceutical products, he emphasised, which is why the logistics needs for these goods are treated differently from those of all other products.
More medicines during the pandemic
Hemmerling said it is essential to have the right assessment of the foreign trade in pharmaceutical goods and its connection to the effects of the pandemic, especially where demand has grown.
"Turkey is ranked the 14th nation worldwide in the pharmaceutical and the medical industries," Hemmerling reminded his audience. Data from TÜIK, the Turkish statistical institute, on pharmaceutical exports reveals that the value of Turkey’s pharmaceutical exports rose to around USD 617 million, increasing by approximately 27.4 % in the period January–August 2020, compared to the same months of last year. During the period under review, imports in the sector decreased by 7%, falling to approximately USD 1.6 billion.
Waiting to break into the top ten
Hemmerling pointed out that Turkey aims to further improve its 14th rank in global pharmaceutical industry and join the top ten worldwide of producers of healthcare goods by 2023.
The logistics of pharmaceutical goods are very sensitive; neglecting any element can lead to serious negative consequences. Having underlined the key fact that one of Fevzi Gandur’s specialities is in the pharmaceutical logistics field, Hemmerling once again underlined the key importance of the fact that shipping and storing requirements are treated differently from the logistics of other products.
Hemmerling pointed out that it isn’t possible to check whether medicine that has been shipped without considering these essential requirements has been spoilt or not, before it is issued to patients.
Paying attention to essential needs
The fact that spoilt medicine may lead to serious health problems, Hemmerling said, "shows the key importance of the concomitant logistics. Choosing a reputable partner will enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to fulfil their responsibilities to human health needs."
Paying attention to these requirements, from the factory to chemist’s and hospitals, is crucial. The medicine has to be protected against humidity, heat, light and forceful vibrations. These measures must apply to all processes, from manufacturing to distribution, and in all places, from chemist’s to hospitals.
