Survey for Transportation Management Standard of Cold Chain Logistics for Drug and Medical Supplies in Thailand

Abstract

Objective: To study opinions on management standards and practices for transportation, storage and arrangement of goods in the logistics process throughout health care cold chain in Thailand. Methods: The researchers collected information on the criteria related to the standards for storage, transportation and distribution of drugs and medical supplies in Thailand and those from abroad. The important issues from various standards were input for developing the questionnaire to gather opinions about such standards in Thailand. The study sent hard copy questionnaires to 332 subjects working as pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, logistic service providers, pharmaceutical representatives, salesperson and retail pharmacies, public health officer and regulators. Results: 24.83% of the subjects did not know any standards regarding the storage, transportation and distribution of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies. All of those working in manufacturing sector were unaware of the standards. Opinions of the subjects on the standards for transportation management of pharmaceutical products and medical supplies in Thailand in terms of personnel, documentation, product transportation, storage in buildings and facilities, storage management system and complaints, returns, suspected falsified medicinal products and product recalls, had a high level of mean ranging between 4.52-4.83 (out of the full score of 5). The data analysis revealed an important direction for further development i.e., providing relevant knowledge and disseminating guidelines to those involved. It also revealed the issues in the standard that each party placed the emphasis. Conclusion: The subjects strongly agreed with all issues regarding the standards of transportation, storage and arrangement of drugs and medical supplies in the cold chain in Thailand. This enables the use of such standards as inputs at the policy level for establishing a better standard for transportation management for health care cold chain logistics within the country.