Survey on transportation and storage of biological therapies by patients

Abstract

Objective To assess key aspects of transportation and storage of biological therapies (BTs) on the part of the patients, from the time they collect them from the pharmacy up until the moment of administration. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in the form of a survey completed by outpatients older than 18 years who were administered BTs. The survey was carried out by the authors between August 2016 and January 2017. Results A total of 83 outpatients were interviewed (mean age, 53; standard deviation, 15; 76% female). Sixty percent had rheumatoid arthritis, 24% had psoriatic arthritis, and 16% sustained other rheumatic and inflammatory diseases. Twenty percent had not been informed of the importance of proper refrigeration when they were first prescribed BTs; 77% had acquired the medication at least 7 days before administration; 28% had misplaced the drug in the fridge (65% of them in the freezer); 90% was unaware of the temperature range at which the BT should be kept in the fridge, and only one (1%) of them had once used a thermometer to find out the fridge temperature. Fifty-three percent had suffered frequent power outages the previous summer, 22% had experienced blackouts longer than 48 hours; 37% had taken the BT to another house to avoid wasting it, and four (5%) patients had disposed of the drug due to a prolonged power outage. Conclusion Upon prescribing BTs, it is imperative that physicians brief patients on the relevance of suitable transportation and storage methods, and a treatment failure should prompt a thorough assessment of transportation and storage conditions.

Familiarity, Knowledge and Practices of Healthcare Professionals Regarding the Pharmacovigilance of Biological Medicines in Lusaka, Zambia: A Multi-Facility Cross-Sectional Study

“…Biologics and biosimilars must be transported and stored at highly regulated temperatures [25]. Notably, most HCPs (81.3%) recognised that storing BMs outside their recommended storage conditions may introduce or alter immunogenicity.…”

“…Notably, most HCPs (81.3%) recognised that storing BMs outside their recommended storage conditions may introduce or alter immunogenicity. Temperature fluctuations may increase the formation of protein aggregates and therefore affect the product quality [25].…”