Agility is First Forwarder to Achieve QEP Experto Status
29th September 2017
Agility has been named the first freight forwarder to receive QEP experto accreditation from Envirotainer for its cold chain management of pharma and life sciences products.
Envirotainer is the world leader in temperature-controlled air transportation containers for the pharmaceutical industry. The company’s Qualified Envirotainer Provider (QEP) program evaluates freight forwarders and airline stations and recognizes those able to meet the highest standards for Envirotainer shipments.
The QEP experto accreditation applies to Agility’s operations at the EuroAirport in Basel, Switzerland, where Agility runs a Pharma Competence Centre (PCC) that manages global, temperature-controlled transportation as well as cold chain solutions for pharmaceutical products. The PCC handles more than 20,000 temperature-controlled shipments per year.
“Pharmaceutical logistics is complex, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for customers. As a result, we work with our suppliers to maintain the highest level of quality and standards. Being the first freight forwarder to receive the experto certification from Envirotainer is proof of these efforts,” said Eric ten Kate, Global Vice President, Life Sciences at Agility.
To achieve QEP experto recognition, a QEP-accredited provider must have a Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification along with dedicated +15°C to +25°C pharma storage, and manage at least 15 Envirotainer containers per month.
Chris Fore, Compliance Manager at Envirotainer, said: “On its ten-year anniversary, QEP started recognizing stations at either basico, advancedo or experto level. QEP experto is only for those having the highest level of training and quality, along with the physical capabilities and extensive experience handling pharmaceutical products. I do not see many more forwarders meeting such strict criteria.”