A Study on Proposing Improvements to the Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Through the Analysis of Pharmaceutical Delivery Data

The pharmaceutical industry is a continuously growing industry due to the increasing demand for well-being and well-aging as the population ages, as well as the increase in chronic and new diseases. In this study, we looked at temperature deviations and identified their causes through temperature data analysis as social interest in maintaining the temperature of the cold chain for pharmaceuticals increases. The data analysis was conducted based on the data of flu vaccine from pharmaceutical company B, which is in charge of the 3PL of domestic pharmaceuticals, and the time range was limited to 2021 to 2024, and the spatial range was limited to the Cheon-an area. We looked at the temperatures that deviated from the temperature regulation range and identified the causes through on-site interviews. According to regulations, pharmaceutical products are only discarded if they have been out of the temperature range for more than an hour, but in this study, even if the temperature has been out of the range for a short time, it is judged as an outlier and analyzed. The causes of temperature deviations, such as extreme low and high temperatures, include the measurement of extreme low temperatures due to the failure to condition the insulation, the entry of cold air from the vehicle into the packaging during the delivery process, or the entry of external heat into the packaging, and the damage to the packaging and temperature measuring equipment of the delivery service. It is expected that these causes can strengthen the safety of the pharmaceutical cold chain through the problem recognition and improvement of on-site workers.