MEMPHIS, Tennessee (TN Tribune) — The FedEx hubs in Memphis and Indianapolis and the FedEx ramps in San Juan (SJU) and Aguadilla (BQN) in Puerto Rico have earned the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The CEIV Pharma certification validates processes for compliance in air cargo handling of pharmaceutical shipments. CEIV Pharma certification ensures that facilities, equipment, operations, and staff meet regulatory requirements for shipping pharmaceutical products.
“This certification demonstrates our dedication to the quality control and compliance processes that come with handling pharmaceutical shipments,” said Nick Gennari, president, FedEx global healthcare. “Whether regulatory demands, tracking for possible temperature incursions that may affect the efficacy of medicines, or managing a returns process, our FedEx Global Healthcare team has demonstrated a high level of quality control that allows our customers to take care of the patients that are on the end of every pharmaceutical delivery.”
Certifying these locations will serve as the cornerstone of the healthcare team’s quality and compliance focus in the transportation network.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the territory of Puerto Rico exported the most pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing in 2023 with $17.9B of exports, with the state of Indiana, home of the Indianapolis hub, second with $16.4B [1].
This is the second verification of quality control for the two hubs and two ramps. All four facilities are also Good Distribution Practices (GDP) compliant.
In June, FedEx named longtime executive Nick Gennari as lead of healthcare.
Gennari will have leadership responsibilities for global healthcare sales and operations and will oversee a team that continues to create value-added physical and digital solutions for the unique and dynamic needs of healthcare customers.
This appointment comes as the company has made significant strides expanding its healthcare portfolio to create innovative solutions that strengthen its support of healthcare customers around the world. Last month, the company opened its first European Life Sciences Center in the Netherlands. This state-of-the-art cooling facility is the sixth of its kind in the shipping giant’s global network, offering end-to-end supply chain solutions for temperature-sensitive medical storage and transport. Additionally, the company is accelerating the rollout of FedEx Surround, a monitoring and intervention service that leverages extensive FedEx data and machine learning to provide customers enhanced proactive visibility of their critical shipments.
“FedEx is making supply chains smarter for everyone – including pharmaceutical, global clinical trials, and medical device shippers,” said Brie Carere, executive vice president and chief customer officer.
