Pharmaniaga all geared up for Covid-19 vaccine distribution nationwide

KUALA LUMPUR: Pharmaniaga Bhd has set up a task force and is all geared up to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine, which is expected to be available at the end of the first quarter next year.

In a statement yesterday, the company said this is in line with the recent announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the government has signed an agreement to purchase Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for 6.4 million Malaysians.

The announcement has paved the way for the government to have more such arrangements with other vaccine manufacturers.

Pharmaniaga group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the company’s core competency lies in its pharmaceutical-grade logistics services and internationally recognised halal drug manufacturing facility.

He said the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd, has 26 years of vaccine logistics and distribution experience covering both the -20 C and 2-8 C constant temperature requirements, and it will give utmost priority to the compliance of the temperature requirements of the Covid-19 vaccine to ensure its continued quality, safety and efficacy.

“Vaccine transportation is not like any other drug, as any temperature breach out of the allowed range will impact its efficacy. In order to manage this especially with the delivery challenge to remote locations in

Sabah and Sarawak, Pharmaniaga has perfected the transportation medium, and the process complies with the Good Distribution Practice requirements.

“Each of the boxes will be sealed together with a temperature monitoring device which allows the customer to verify the temperature compliance. On top of that, the delivery vehicles are equipped with Internet of Things devices which allow us to monitor the vehicle’s movement, arrival time as well as temperature.

Zulkarnain said Pharmaniaga’s current warehouses in Bukit Raja in Shah Alam, Juru, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching have cold chain facilities with an environmental monitoring system and back-up power to ensure the vaccines are safe for use.

In addition, all these warehouses have been licensed to handle cold chain products by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, and the facilities are continuously enhanced. – Bernama