World Courier, a global specialty logistics firm and part of AmerisourceBergen, announced that it achieved Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification across its global network of 140-plus offices.
Awarded by DQS, a certification body for management systems worldwide, the certificate underscores World Courier’s commitment to and compliance with quality management standards and international requirements throughout the supply chain. The company received the certification following a six–month evaluation process, during which a team of DQS auditors analyzed World Courier’s transportation, handling and storage processes, and tested them against guidelines outlined by the European Union (EU GDP Guidelines), U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP 1079) and World Health Organization (WHO GDP). GDP guidelines regulate the distribution of medicinal products from the manufacturer to the patient.
World Courier says it is, “the first logistics company to attain global GDP certification against three major GDP standards with international implications, and the only provider to hold a GDP certification with such wide and global scope.”
“As a company that’s committed to ensuring end-to-end product safety, we are proud to be the first specialty logistics provider to achieve this GDP-certification on such a global scale,” says World Courier President Sam Herbert. “Stakeholders across the supply chain rely on us to deliver GDP-compliant transport, storage and distribution solutions worldwide. With the increased globalization of supply chains and the emergence of high-value products, such as cell and gene therapies, there is a heightened demand for strict quality and temperature control measures to ensure product quality and integrity throughout long-distance deliveries.”
World Courier’s company-owned offices span more than 50 countries, with 14 investigational drug depots located in emerging markets worldwide. The company adheres to a strict GxP policy, which is founded on the established precepts of GDP, Good Storage Practice (GSP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP), to ensure product quality and optimize the supply chain.
![“Another key [UDI] benefit, because we're calling that product by the same name across the healthcare supply chain… rich and robust data that we can access around supply consumption and utilization rates. One of the buzz terms we've heard during the COVID-19 crisis was what's my burn rate? How fast am I going through gowns, masks, gloves?” – Mike Schiller, Senior Director at AHRMM](https://img.healthcarepackaging.com/files/base/pmmi/all/image/2020/08/UDI.5f4d326e41d53.png?auto=format&fit=crop&h=146&w=340)
