Why Ribb | Cold Chain Solutions

Why you need Ribb

The Scale of the Issue

Around $4,000 (NZD) worth of vaccines and Temperature Sensitive Pharmaceutical’s were discarded every month in one regional Health Board due to Cold Chain breaches (CCDHB July 2018).

At least $25.9 million (AUD) in Australian vaccines was lost to cold chain breaches between 2014 –2019 (NewsGP 26th Sept 2019).

More than $20 million (USD) in paediatric vaccines alone are wasted each year due to inadequate vaccine refrigeration (U.S. Federal Vaccines for Children Program July 15, 2015).

Common Challenges

Overpacked
Fridges

We observed that many fridges are overfilled to keep up with the demands of more medication across wards, pharmacies and practices.

Trouble Finding Medicines

We observed that it took a long time to find specific medication, and often required the fridge door to be open for a long time.

Medicines touching
the sides

The recommended barrier of 25 - 30mm of spacing was not always easy to maintain, especially when the fridge is loaded to capacity.

Challenges in Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Storage

The World Health Organisation estimates up to 50% of vaccines are wasted globally every year due to a lack of temperature control in regulated Cold-Chain systems. Within hospitals, temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals (TSP’s) including vaccines and medicines, require refrigeration and spacing to maintain Cold-Chain standards and drug efficacy.

Cold-Chain is the system of storing TSP’s within the temperature range of +2°C to +8°C from the point of manufacture through to administering to a patient, ensuring pharmaceutical efficacy. It requires spacing between TSP’s (20-30mm), ensuring airflow within the refrigerator.

It relies on busy pharmacy staff to: organise, pack and repack fridges, maintain TSP spacing, avoid cold bridging, and at all costs avoid a temperature breach.