With the elderly becoming the fastest-growing demographic in Europe, increased healthcare needs are reshaping the pharmaceutical sector, emphasizing the need for robust and flexible logistics systems to keep up. This demand is driving the expansion of the European pharmaceutical market, which is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5% by 2030. This growth is fueled by innovative therapies such as biologics and personalized medicine, which have more stringent transportation requirements. However, can road transport meet the demands for timely supply in today’s volatile and continuously disrupted logistics industry? And how should decarbonization issues within the supply chain be addressed?
The Importance of Compliance
With increasing demand for pharmaceuticals in Europe, efficient drug transportation has become crucial. Road freight accounts for 61% of cargo transport within the EU, making it essential to enhance road logistics for the pharmaceutical industry. As pharmaceutical products increasingly include highly sensitive items such as vaccines, biologics, and gene therapies, strict temperature control is critical. The Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines, implemented in 2003 and updated in 2017, define standards for transporting medicines. Adhering to these standards is key and mandatory for logistics companies.
Maintaining Integrity Under Extreme Pressure
Pharmaceutical companies face significant challenges when transporting their sensitive products, especially under stringent requirements such as temperature control, regulatory compliance, and supply chain visibility. Additionally, it’s worth noting Europe’s efforts towards decarbonization. As pharmaceutical companies are pushing for decarbonization, they seek net-zero logistics solutions. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and alternative fuels like HVO are initial solutions and transportation modes already operating within the pharmaceutical supply chain. The combination of these three solutions and future innovations can bring substantial emission reductions. For instance, combining HVO fuel and/or BEVs with multimodal transport can significantly reduce E2E emissions. With digital tools, results can be easily reported to companies as a presentation of Scope 3 emission reductions.
The Need for Digital Support and Opportunities
However, sustainable solutions are not the only requirement in pharmaceutical supply chains. Modern digital tools and new logistics equipment combined with round-the-clock monitoring make it easier to track shipments in real-time, control temperatures, and prevent delays. Using advanced tracking and monitoring systems, pharmaceutical companies can achieve the visibility and control needed to effectively follow and manage their supply chain, providing detailed information:
- Temperature Stability: Ensuring that medicines, especially highly sensitive biologics, remain within required temperature ranges to maintain efficacy and safety.
- Real-Time Visibility: Tracking goods throughout the transportation process to ensure no delays or interruptions endanger products. Immediate alerts can help address potential issues such as temperature deviations or delays.
- Route Optimization: Automatically re-routing trucks to avoid delays caused by unforeseen events like border restrictions, local law enforcement actions, or sudden weather changes.
For example, when a shipment of critical vaccines faces potential delays due to border restrictions between France and Germany, the carrier automatically receives an alert and quickly defines new routes using digital tools—often leveraging robotic process automation or AI—to update expected arrival times and provide necessary information to all stakeholders.
“In an industry where time, compliance, and product integrity can save lives, choosing the right logistics partner is not just about operational efficiency—it’s about trust, reliability, and safeguarding global health. Years of experience remind us that every link and element in the supply chain matters; pharmaceutical companies are looking for those who understand high-risk logistics. The future of healthcare depends on this,” summarized Mark Mulder, Chief Commercial Officer at Girteka.
Source: Logistics Business
