Can You Use Self-Storage for Pharmaceutical Products?
Many pharmaceutical product representatives use costly, contracted services for storing drugs and other medical supplies. But there are other low-cost alternatives to store medical products in controlled environments.
Can you use self storage for pharmaceutical products? Yes! Self-storage meets the legal requirements of Health Canada and the FDA for storing drugs and other medical supplies.
In this article, we’ll outline how self storage can be used to store pharmaceuticals, especially for traveling product sales representatives.
Self-Storage Meets Legal Requirements for Pharmaceutical Products
What Conditions are Required to Commercially Store Drugs?
In Canada, storage of pharmaceuticals is regulated by the Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) of Health Canada. While in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the storage, transport, and manufacturing of medical products.
In accordance with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, drugs must be stored in appropriate conditions. According to GMP Trends, storage for drugs must have appropriate conditions per manufacturer instructions, prevent unauthorized persons from entering, be of sufficient capacity, clean and dry, free of waste or pests, protect materials from weather, and segregate quarantined, approved, and rejected materials.
Self storage is a great alternative for storing pharmaceutical products with 24/7 indoor and outdoor video surveillance, accessible storage units during late night and early morning hours, as well as unique passcode gates for secure entry into each facility.
Store According to Manufacturer Instruction with Climate-Controlled Storage
Cold Storage for Pharmaceutical Products
Temperature control is a must for storing pharmaceutical products, as even a simple change in 2°C (36°F) can compromise a sample or product.
By storing in climate-controlled storage, product reps can control the temperature their medicines are stored in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
As such, climate-controlled storage can be used as cold storage when set between 2°C and 8°C or 36°F and 46°F.
With proper ventilation and the ability to accurately alter temperature, climate-controlled self-storage units meet the requirements for storing pharmaceuticals.
Cool and Room Temperature Storage for Medical Products
Despite the geographical climate, medical supplies can be stored in the proper conditions to maintain potency.
Attain cool storage at 8°C to 15°C (46°F to 59°F) and room temperature at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) with a climate-controlled storage unit for a significantly lower cost than typical pharmaceutical warehousing.
Self-Storage is a Low-Cost Alternative for Storing Products
Self-Storage vs Pharmaceutical Warehousing
While pharmaceutical warehousing often includes temperature reporting, they’re less reliable when it comes to keeping the facility at the right temperature per each product.
With a specific climate-controlled storage unit, drugs and other medical supplies are temperature controlled in smaller spaces and more easily adjusted as per manufacturer storage instructions.
A storage unit monitored and controlled by you, also means it’s dark and free from light exposure.
Pharmaceutical warehousing has a difficult time monitoring light exposure, as they build vertically to maximize their space, further potentially exposing pharmaceutical products to light, varying temperatures, and contamination.
Storage for Traveling Sales Reps Across North America
Mini Mall Storage is a great alternative to costly pharmaceutical warehousing across North America. But self storage for sales representatives can also house a variety of goods in safe and secure facilities in Canada and the United States.
Security is especially important when you’re storing thousands of dollars worth of goods.
At Mini Mall Storage we’re on guard to protect your stock. Have peace of mind knowing each Mini Mall Storage location is fitted with indoor and outdoor security cameras recording 24/7. Plus, our secure gated storage complexes are only accessible with your unique passcode so we can monitor and prevent unauthorized entry.
With more than 80 locations and counting, there’s plenty of room to safely store medical products, sporting goods, and beverage samples for traveling sales representatives.
Finding storage for your business or stock is increasingly challenging, especially as warehousing fills up and rates rise.
Learn more about how you can use self-storage for commercial business purposes. And consider self-storage across North America to help with your inventory storage challenges.
Search for self storage near you today.