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Obtains IATA CEIV Pharma Certification1, showing UPS's capabilities regarding the handling and transporting
of high-value, time-sensitive and temperature-controlled pharmaceutical cargo
SINGAPORE – UPS Healthcare (NYSE: UPS) announced today that its freight forwarding operation at Changi Airport, Singapore, has received IATA CEIV Pharma Certification for pharmaceutical logistics. The certification is the first for UPS in Asia Pacific and strengthens the value proposition of UPS's healthcare logistics services in the region. It is further validation of its capabilities in the safe, secure and efficient transportation of high-value pharmaceutical products.
IATA's CEIV Pharma Certification is an industry certification developed by IATA, regulators and aviation industry stakeholders. It evaluates companies on a comprehensive range of criteria including quality management systems, facilities, equipment, operations and staff expertise. The certification requires companies to meet or exceed many existing pharmaceutical standards and guidelines such as IATA Temperature Control Regulations, European Union Good Distribution Practices, World Health Organisation Annex 5 Good Distribution Practices for Pharmaceutical Products and United States Pharmacopeia Standards.
"Pharmaceuticals are time and temperature-sensitive, requiring an extra amount of care throughout the transportation process. These are not typical parcels, and at times are life-saving deliveries. This certification is confirmation of the high standards of handling and transportation that UPS customers in the healthcare and life sciences sector have come to rely on for their high-value shipments," said Lim Bee Koong, Director, Healthcare Strategy, UPS Asia Pacific.
As a biomedical sciences hub for the Asia Pacific region, Singapore is home to eight of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies globally, manufacturing four of the top 10 medicines by global revenue2. With a third of scrapped pharmaceuticals globally attributed to logistics issues3, maintaining the integrity of the healthcare supply chain is crucial to Singapore's biomedical manufacturing sector.
Enhancing its value proposition with an industry-leading set of standards like the IATA CEIV Pharma certification is part of UPS's vision to inspire trust and empower innovation to improve patient care across the healthcare and life sciences ecosystem.
This follows the formation of a dedicated UPS Healthcare unit to connect all global UPS healthcare operations and commercial groups within a single business unit to streamline processes and enable faster turnarounds and decision-making. The company is in the midst of a structured transformation including investments in new capacity and automation for its Smart Global Logistics Network, leveraging data, analytics and innovative technology.
"Our continual upgrades and technology investments give us a high degree of visibility over the entire healthcare supply chain. For example, UPS has strategically placed control towers globally that monitor UPS Temperature True® shipments for any potential temperature excursions that may degrade temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. It is this customer-first focus that has helped pave the way for our IATA CEIV Pharma Certification," added Bee Koong.
About UPS Healthcare
UPS Healthcare delivers unparalleled healthcare logistics expertise to its customers around the world. UPS Healthcare has 11+ million square feet of cGMP and GDP-compliant healthcare distribution space globally. Its services include inventory management, cold chain packaging and shipping, storage and fulfilment of medical devices, and lab and clinical trial logistics. UPS Healthcare's global infrastructure, its UPS® Premier visibility service, its track and trace technology, and its global quality system are well-suited to meeting today's complex logistics demands for the pharmaceutical, medical device, and laboratory diagnostic industries.
1. International Air Transport Association's Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistic
2. Singapore Economic Development Boar
3. IATA
