The incoming goods control begins with checking whether the delivery corresponds to the delivery note or consignment note and corresponds to an order or an announced return. The entire delivery must be checked and the results documented. A checklist can be used for this purpose, which is to be filled out in the form of a protocol.
The incoming goods protocol must be filled out completely. The date of the delivery and the names of the employees for unloading and control must be indicated. The correctness must be confirmed with the signature(s) of the persons involved. Subsequent entries must be marked as such.
The following inspection points are to be listed on the incoming goods protocol:
A proof must be attached to the incoming goods protocol showing the batch designations of the entire delivery.
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After completion of the incoming goods control, the goods are usually booked into the warehouse management system of Peither Logistik GmbH. In special cases, the receipt of the goods is confirmed directly in the customer system (warehouse management system of the pharmaceutical company).
The incoming goods process is completed when the goods have been moved to the designated storage location.
As a matter of principle, medicinal products may only be placed on the market if they have been authorised for this purpose (marketing authorisation). In addition, each individual batch of medicinal products must be certified by a Qualified Person (QP) (batch certification and release for marketing, see Annex 16 EU GMP Guide).
The certification of the finished product batch may only be carried out by the QP if the required prerequisites are fulfilled. Due to the prescribed tests, batches of medicinal products often cannot be released for marketing immediately after their manufacture (e.g. waiting times for microbiological tests). This means that finished medicinal products must first be stored before they can be released for marketing. However, it must then be ensured that such non-certified batches cannot be transferred to marketable stock. This may involve physical precautions such as segregation and labelling, or electronic precautions such as the use of validated computerised systems.
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If counterfeit products are suspected, the affected cargo must be immediately physically separated from the rest of the goods. In the case of counterfeit medicines, the pharmaceutical manufacturer and the competent authority must be informed. All measures taken must be documented.
Chilled goods and temperature-controlled transports are to be prioritised in order to bring them – after temperature control – into the temperature-controlled storage rooms as quickly as possible.
To check whether the temperature was maintained during transport, evaluate the printouts of the data loggers of the transport vehicles. If this is not possible, at least check the temperature of the delivery with a calibrated measuring device upon receipt of the goods. The results are to be documented and the records including the logger printouts are to be archived. In the event of a deviation, this is to be processed according to previously established procedures.
If larger quantities of temperature-sensitive medicines are delivered or collected daily, it makes sense to set up a loading area with direct access to the cold storage (thermal door). In this way, temperature fluctuations can be avoided and the transport routes for the sensitive medicines can be optimised.
Figure 1: Thermal door in the cold store at Grieshaber Logistics Group AG
A translated and edited excerpt from our German knowledge portal GMP:KnowHow Pharmalogistik (GDP).
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