Panalpina expands its network of GDP-certified sites

Straight from bagging Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certifications for 11 sites in 2018, Panalpina expects to get over 10 sites certified to GDP in 2019. With currently 37 GDP-certified locations around the globe, the logistics provider is well-positioned to serve the healthcare and pharmaceuticals industry with comprehensive, end-to-end supply chain solutions.

Panalpina obtained GDP certifications for these sites in 2018, 10 of which were audited by external certification body SGS and one by a local health authority:

• Americas: Nashville, San Francisco, Panama, Bogotá, Montreal
• Europe: Innsbruck, Lisbon
• MEAC: Dubai
• APAC: Narita, Hyderabad, Singapore

With that, the third-party logistics provider is staying on course to expand its network of GDP-certified sites in key regions geared to serve the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry and meet their demands in handling, storing and distributing their products according to the European Union GDP guidelines and the World Health Organization GDP guidelines.

Panalpina’s Hyderabad facility, for instance, will capitalize on India’s projected growth to be the sixth largest pharmaceutical market in absolute size, according to the Make in India initiative. India accounts for 20 percent of global exports in generics, making it the largest provider of generic medicines globally.

Up next for GDP-certification in the second half of 2019 is Panalpina’s warehouse in Cajamar, São Paulo, which is exclusively dedicated to the cold chain segment and is able to store various types of temperature-controlled cargo. Stretching over 4,000 square meters, the facility has three cold chambers for different temperature ranges: -20°C, from 2°C to 8°C, and from 15°C to 25°C.

Over the coming months, Panalpina is extending its global GDP footprint to cover over 10 key locations in the Americas, Europe, MEAC and APAC.

“We are stepping up our in-house training capabilities to ensure that employees have the qualifications and training required for GDP,” says Lindsay Zingg, Panalpina’s global head of quality, health, safety and environment. “Targeted and faster training enables Panalpina to get more sites certified.”