Over one million shipments of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals delivered safely
A Success Story about va-Q-tec and Swiss Post
In Germany, more and more temperature-sensitive pharma products are delivered by parcel services often without consistent monitoring of legally required temperature conditions. The result: pharmaceuticals may lose their effectiveness or even become harmful if transported at the wrong temperature. Particularly on the “Last Mile” to the patient, reliable temperature control is often missing.
Swiss Post recognized early on that action was needed and has been partnering with va-Q-tec since 2017. For the transport of sensitive pharmaceuticals, Swiss Post uses reusable, vacuum-insulated transport boxes from va-Q-tec. These passive thermal boxes reliably keep temperature-sensitive pharma products within the required ranges (+2 °C to +8 °C or +15 °C to +25 °C) for several days, GDP-compliant and without any external energy supply.
“How simple and efficient safe pharmaceutical transports can be is shown by Swiss Post every day, with our robust, passive thermal boxes that operate reliably in any season.”
Felix Rau, Vice President Business Unit TempChain, va-Q-tec
The process starts at the va-Q-tec TempChain Service Center in the Canton of Aargau, where the thermal boxes are preconditioned as needed and tested for reliable performance. Swiss Post delivers the empty boxes to pharmaceutical shippers. There, they are filled with temperature-sensitive pharma products and delivered directly to patients. After delivery, the empty boxes return to the Service Center, where they are cleaned, undergo another quality check with the va-Q-check® system, and are repaired if necessary.
The location in the Canton of Aargau offers a decisive advantage: its proximity to Swiss Post’s logistics routes enables fast operations, short transport distances, and maximum efficiency – a plus for quality, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
This process reflects lived brand values of va-Q-tec: Quality comes first and is enabled by precise temperature control and thorough inspection of every single box. Reliability is demonstrated by consistent performance, even under extreme climate conditions. With the reusable system and repairability of the boxes, va-Q-tec takes responsibility for the environment and resources. More than one million successful deliveries highlight the high performance of this solution, built on the expertise of a team that has been shaping passive TempChain standards in the industry for years.
Copyright images: “Swiss Post”