28.07.17
Vaccine storage must be priority
Source: NHE Jul/Aug 2017
Ian Harbinson, marketing manager at Lec Medical, discusses the importance of effective vaccine storage.
Vaccines cost the NHS approximately £200m a year. If each practice lost just one dose of Pediacel a month, that would equate to over £4m a year*. It is therefore highly important that these vaccines are safeguarded against accidental spoilage, and one of the most vital elements of this is ensuring they are effectively stored.
The accuracy of medical refrigeration is paramount in ensuring vaccine safety, because if even the slightest deviation in temperature goes unnoticed it can have extremely serious consequences. This could mean losing the entire contents of not just one, but multiple fridges containing whole batches of high-value vaccinations which may already be spoiled or ruled ineffective.
Measure what matters
So, what can you do to prevent this from happening? The number one priority is to have reliable, safe and specialised medical refrigerators in place – refrigeration units that actually measure the temperature of the vaccines, as well as the air temperature in the fridge. This means that you measure what really matters, i.e. the vaccines, rather than simply the air temperature, which fails to portray an accurate reading for the medication being stored within.
This is something which has been at the forefront when designing our ‘Control’ range – the latest addition to the Lec Medical refrigeration portfolio. Now, hospitals can have confidence in, and control of, the true temperature of their refrigeration products and vaccines. Developed specifically for ultimate accuracy and peace of mind, all models within the ‘Control’ range have a new in-built, market-leading temperature measurement system which is smart enough to enable easy recording of both the air and vaccine vial temperature, and will alert staff should there be an issue.
The new ‘Control’ range uses two temperature probes. The first measures the inside air temperature of the fridge so if there is an abnormal variation, i.e. the temperature drops to either below 2°C or above 8°C, staff are alerted. If this happens, an early visual warning will be given and an audio alarm will be triggered to alert staff that action is required, which allows time to resolve the problem as quickly as possible, before any unnecessary losses occur.
The second temperature probe sits in a replica vaccine vial within the fridge to reflect the true temperature of the vaccines, as opposed to just the air temperature of the fridge. Staff alerted can then check whether the deviation in air temperature has caused damage to the vaccines themselves to avoid any uncertainty and thus reducing the chance of having to discard valuable stock.
Once you have invested in a specialist medical refrigerator (domestic fridges are completely inappropriate for use in a medical environment and can lead to serious consequences if used), instruction must be given that it is only to be used for pharmaceutical products and should never be used to store food or drink. Other factors such as making sure that the fridge is no more than 75% full, to avoid a build-up of ice; that the vaccines are not touching the back wall of the fridge; and that there is at least a 1cm gap between vaccines, wherever possible, are all good practices that can be undertaken daily. Stock should be audited and recorded at least every month, with audit records of stock and temperature management shared with the local screening and immunisation teams.
All-in-one monitoring
Larger hospitals may also require an independent monitoring system which must comply with monitoring legislation, and once again Lec Medical has a solution to suit. The Lec system is MHRA- and CPA-compliant and centralises data from all locations where the sensors are placed, for example in separate departments and buildings, on the system’s web portal. Authorised users are provided with an overall view of their monitored environments from any internet-enabled device, so for areas where there is not 24-hour supervision, it will send alerts to authorised personnel that can then access further data on the issue and, in some cases, sort remotely.
A series of sensors can be used within medical fridges, freezers, incubators and even in bloodbanks, cold storage and when stock is in transit, to ensure that medicines and vaccines are continuously monitored to the highest level. Specialist sensors that monitor CO2, O2, humidity, door ajar sensors, water bath and incubators are also available. By putting the system in place and using it in conjunction with our ‘Control’ range, hospitals will not only be provided with extra peace of mind, but they will be able to see automatically recorded data without having to manually go to each refrigerator several times a day. This data, which includes historical information, is then stored on a secure cloud using the latest encryption software so it can only be accessed by authorised personnel.
The advantage of sensors is that they can be added to the system as and when required, and more importantly, as they communicate using a RF signal, the signal can penetrate through walls, eliminating the need for disruptive drilling and dangerous wires.
Utilising the latest technology and following effective yet simple safety precautions is crucial when you’re dealing with such vital and valuable contents such as vaccines. For additional information and guidelines on correct storage equipment to use, as well as the entire cold chain process, please consult Public Health England and the Care Quality Commission websites. It is imperative that healthcare professionals are fully aware of the correct procedures and processes set out by these official bodies for maximum storage safety.
*Source: ‘The Protocol for Ordering, Storing and Handling Vaccines’; Public Health England, UK Government
“THE ACCURACY OF MEDICAL REFRIGERATION IS PARAMOUNT IN ENSURING VACCINE SAFETY”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
W: www.lec-medical.co.uk