European regulations play a key role in ensuring that medicines exported from the European Union (EU) to emerging countries, such as India, Brazil, South Africa, Russia and China, are safe, effective and of high quality.

EU regulations and the European Commission establish clear guidelines that affect both manufacturers and distributors, having a direct and positive impact on the logistics of medicines to these markets. Among the most important directives are 2011/62/EU, which works to prevent the entry of falsified medicines into the legal supply chain, and 2003/94/EC, which sets out the principles and guidelines of good manufacturing practice for medicinal products.

Similarly, it is essential to consider the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) established by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which describes the minimum standards of quality and integrity of medicines so that they are kept in optimal conditions throughout the supply chain. The EMA supervises the implementation of GDPs in the EU. Some of its guidelines include:

• Temperature control: Medicines must be stored and transported under controlled conditions to maintain their efficacy.
• Traceability: The ability to track the location of a pharmaceutical product is essential for the safety of manufacturers, distributors and companies in emerging countries, facilitating the rapid identification and recall of any defective product.
• Risk management: Companies should implement risk management systems to identify potential threats to the quality of medicines during storage, transport and distribution.
• Training and competence: Staff involved in the entire pharmaceutical logistics chain must be adequately trained and competent.

High reputation of European medicines in healthcare systems

Compliance with these regulations and guidelines by European exporters has numerous positive impacts on emerging countries, such as increasing safety in the healthcare sector in China, Russia, South Africa, Brazil and India, as well as strengthening the confidence of healthcare professionals in these countries, thanks to the fact that medicines comply with European standards.

Promoting efficient, sustainable and safe logistics practices helps reduce costs and improves the availability of medicines in emerging countries. At Airpharm, we specialize in pharmaceutical logistics and help companies in Europe to transport medicines, vaccines and medical devices anywhere in the world. If you want to optimize your supply chain by focusing on emerging countries, contact Airpharm now and we will provide you with personalized assistance throughout the process.