Proper storage of medical products is critical due to their potential sensitivity to environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, and humidity. Medications stored outside of their ideal temperature range can lose potency and effectiveness and may even become harmful.
Guaranteeing that medications are stored in proper conditions preserves quality and ensures that patients receive the best possible care.
This article discusses the essential guidelines to help ensure medical products are stored safely and effectively.
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Medical-grade storage
Medical-grade refrigerators are important for storing medications and vaccines. Unlike household refrigerators, medical-grade units are fitted with more precise temperature controls, uniform cooling, and specialized features such as air circulation systems.
These features ensure that medications kept within the required temperature range (usually 2 °C - 8 °C), minimizing the risk of fluctuations that compromise medication quality. Medical-grade refrigerators are also usually designed to comply with regulatory standards, providing an additional layer of reliability for healthcare settings.
Temperature monitoring
The most vital factor for medication storage is maintaining a stable temperature, usually between 2 °C and 8 °C (36 °F and 46 °F). Employing a refrigerator with a reliable temperature display and alarms is key to sustaining proper storage conditions. It is also important to utilize a temperature monitoring device to track fluctuations and provide real-time alerts if conditions change significantly.
It is also recommended to take daily temperature checks and maintain logs to track changes and note corrective actions if the temperature fluctuates outside the acceptable range. Documentation ensures compliance with regulations and helps identify issues quickly.
Regular organization and cleaning
An often overlooked but vital aspect of appropriate storage is keeping medical refrigerators clean and organized. Medications must be labeled clearly with visible expiration dates to help avoid the use of expired or compromised products.
Implementing a first-in, first-out (FIFO) system is good practice, ensuring that items approaching expiration are used first. Regular cleaning is required to prevent contamination that may compromise the safety of stored medications.
Preparation for power outages
Power outages are a major threat to maintaining proper storage conditions for temperature-sensitive medications. Ensuring the refrigerator has a long holdover time and a backup power supply or contingency plan is essential.
Potential approaches to this issue include access to a generator, relocating medications to a facility with stable power, and employing temperature-regulated coolers as a temporary solution.
Monitoring and recording temperatures during power outages is vital to determine whether any medications have been compromised. A power outage protocol helps ensure stock safety.
Routine maintenance is critical
Scheduling routine maintenance checks is important to ensure the optimal functioning of a medical refrigerator. This includes verifying that door seals are intact, that no frost buildup is present, and that the cooling mechanism is efficient.
Maintaining a maintenance log is helpful. Tracking routine service checks and necessary repairs ensures compliance with regulations and reveals potential issues.
Accurate record-keeping
There should be meticulous documentation of temperature records, maintenance schedules, and incident logs that serve multiple purposes. These include ensuring regulatory compliance, providing evidence during audits, and helping trace problems if medication quality is ever in question.
Most importantly, clear documentation guarantees patient safety by minimizing the chances of errors.
Staff training
Staff should be trained to monitor temperature, handle power outages, understand the refrigerator's placement, and perform general handling procedures for sensitive medications.
Investing in staff training is an effective way to protect the quality of stored pharmaceuticals.
Conclusion
Proper medical refrigerator storage is essential for guaranteeing the quality and effectiveness of medications. Maintaining correct temperatures, consistent monitoring, efficient organization, and staff training ensures that medication remains safe for patient use.
Ultimately, the safety and effectiveness of stored medications contribute to improved patient outcomes and is a responsibility that must be taken seriously.
About B Medical Systems S.à r.l
B Medical Systems S.à r.l (formely Dometic/Electrolux) is a global manufacturer and distributor of medical cold chain solutions. Based in Hosingen, Luxembourg, the company was founded in 1979, when WHO approached the Swedish manufacturing giant Electrolux to provide a solution to safely store and transport vaccines around the world. Across the 3 major business portfolios of Medical Refrigeration, Blood Management Solutions, and Vaccine Cold Chain, the company currently offers 100+ models. B Medical Systems’ major products include Laboratory Refrigerators, Laboratory Freezers, Pharmacy Refrigerators, Ultra-Low Freezers, Plasma Freezers, Contact Shock Freezers, Vaccine Refrigerators (Ice-Lined Refrigerators and Solar Direct Drive Refrigerators), and Transport Boxes. All products have integrated 24/7 temperature monitoring capabilities that further ensure that these products offer the highest level of safety and reliability.
Throughout its over 40 years of experience, the company has created innovative solutions to store and transport pharmaceuticals, blood components, laboratory specimens, vaccines, etc across the world safely and reliably. Its commitment to supporting health institutions, governments, and NGOs has not only saved innumerable lives but helped entire communities develop and prosper.
The company’s products are essential to hospitals, health centres, blood banks, laboratories and more, as their great reliability and efficiency ensures that any biological requiring cold storage can indeed be stored safely at its intended temperature. As modern medicine becomes more complex and very often requires the use of unstable compounds or produces thermosensitive solutions, B Medical Systems medical cold chain equipment provides the peace of mind scientists and healthcare workers need in their day-to-day life.
Moreover, as the established market leader in the Vaccine Cold Chain for the past 40 years, B Medical Systems has provided equipment to support its partners in vaccinating more than 350 million children in developing countries. Through its long-lasting relationships with global humanitarian organisations such as UNICEF, the WHO, Gavi, Health Ministries, etc., B Medical Systems has installed more than five hundred thousand units across 140+ countries across the world for safely storing and transporting vaccines, medicines, blood and other samples.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, B Medical Systems has been actively supporting governments worldwide in the formation of their vaccine responses, by supporting the establishment of a reliable and versatile vaccine cold chain able to meet any storage temperature requirement.
B Medical Systems is also one of the first few companies in the world to receive EU MDR certification for its active refrigeration product lines across medical refrigeration and blood management business lines. B Medical Systems is also one of the few companies in the world to have an end-to-end refrigeration solution certified by EU MDR, US FDA and WHO PQS.
B Medical Systems Corporate Video EN (2018)
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