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Ultimate guide to medical temperature monitoring
Medical temperature monitoring plays a crucial part in the healthcare field. To maintain their potency and effectiveness, medical products must be stored at a moderate temperature. Many medical products have strict temperature requirements, including vaccines, medications, pharmaceuticals, and products used in veterinary clinics. Any fluctuations in temperature could lead to the degradation of the medical supplies, resulting in loss of product, financial implications, as well as a huge risk to health.
This is where medical data loggers come into play, helping to ensure a consistent temperature is maintained at every stage of the supply chain of the medical products.
Understanding medical temperature monitoring
The NHS states that “medicines should be stored in such a way that assures their continuing quality until the end of administration to the patient.”
When considering temperature monitoring for medical supplies, we must look beyond the final stages of storage, before the medicine is administered, and instead, look at every stage. This flowchart from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights perfectly how temperature control is vital at every stage of the process. From the vaccine manufacturing all the way to vaccine administration.
Whilst it is the product manufacturer who sets the suggested temperature requirements for the storage and transportation of medicinal products, during manufacturing, testing and processing the organisations must follow multiple guideline and strict protocols for assured Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP).
Temperature requirements for ongoing storage, transport and distribution to various settings where medical goods exist are define during this early-stage manufacturing and development process.
It is the governing bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) who define the regulations that determine whether a medical product is approved to market release as well as properly maintained on its onwards journey to the clinic, pharmacy, warehouse, vet practice or other location.
‘Supplement 7 for example: Qualification of temperature-controlled storage areas’, which goes through every stage of qualifying your storage areas to ensure they’re temperature controlled, from installation to operational and performance qualification and everything in between.
In 2024 it was reported that over 1,200 patients in Sydney had received less effective vaccines as a result of storage issues, specifically citing that “storage temperatures may have been outside of the acceptable range”.
As a result, a vaccine that should have lasted for 5 years was consequently less potent and effective, leaving those who were vaccinated susceptible to the deadly diseases they were trying to avoid - unless they get revaccinated. Wasted time, resources, product and costs were all immediate consequences of improper storage.
How could this have been avoided? A medical data logger!
What are the benefits of a medical data logger?
- Real-time monitoring and alerts
Medical data loggers constantly track the temperature that your medical products are stored at. If they exceed the set temperature range then an alert is immediately sent to authorised personnel, so action can be taken immediately. Depending on the type of data logger you choose, this alert can be sent via SMS, email, notifications, etc, allowing you to receive alerts wherever you are.
- Compliance with regulations
Using a data logger for medical temperature monitoring helps to ensure compliance with regulations, such as the FDA's "21 CFR § 600.15 - Temperatures During Shipment," which outlines the required temperature ranges for various medical products during transportation. This proactive approach helps maintain product integrity and ensures adherence to regulatory standards, safeguarding both product quality and patient safety.
For example, frozen red blood cells must be stored at −65 °C or colder. These temperature requirements can be monitored using a medical data logger for any deviations outside of the set parameters.
With some data loggers capable of monitoring temperatures ranging from -196°C to +400°C, they provide a comprehensive solution for tracking a vast range of temperatures across different medical products to ensure that regulations are adhered to.
- Reduces financial risk
Data loggers help to prevent financial loss in both wasted product and also minimising the risk of potential lawsuits resulting from improperly stored medical products. By offering 24/7 continuous temperature monitoring devices, you can be confident that your vaccines are stored correctly.
Range of available medical temperature monitors available
At Withnell Sensors, we understand that not all temperature loggers are the same, and neither are everyone’s requirements. As part of our Withnell Way promise, we offer end-to-end support in your buying journey to help you find the medical data logger you need for your healthcare setting or medical requirement. Data logger needs can include:
- Cold chain monitoring data loggers
Helping to ensure that every stage of the supply chain is temperature monitored, spanning from storage to transportation and distribution of products.
- Single use vs. reusable data loggers
While single-use data loggers may seem like a more affordable option, they are wasteful. With a wide range of reusable medical data loggers available on the market, there are more sustainable and cost-effective alternatives.
From short and medium-term storage solutions to long-term and bulk storage temperature monitoring is required for each medical storage system. The only difference will be whether you need a single medical data logger or an entire network of data loggers to support your medical temperature monitoring needs.
The list for data logger applications spans far and wide, even beyond medical temperature monitoring, however the one thing that remains consistent throughout is Withnell Sensors commitment to finding the right system for you. Get in touch here.
Ensuring safety and compliance through effective medical temperature monitoring
Ensuring safety and compliance through effective medical temperature monitoring
A medical data logger serves a straightforward purpose: it helps monitor and preserve the potency of vaccines and medical products throughout the cold chain. Exposure to improper conditions—such as heat, cold, or light—at any stage can degrade their effectiveness. As the CDC states, "Once lost, potency cannot be restored."
With a wide variety of data loggers available on the market currently, with capabilities spanning from temperature accuracies up to 0.1°C, and the ability to store up to 16,000 recordings, or even spanning temperature ranges from -196°C to +400°C, their importance within the medical sector cannot be underestimated. As advancements continue across the healthcare industry as a whole, from cloud-based storage data loggers to the integration of AI and the rise of IoT, the future of medical temperature monitoring is undoubtedly promising.
However, innovations aside, one constant remains with data loggers: the necessity of regular data logger calibration. Proper calibration ensures that your data logger continues to deliver the most accurate and reliable readings, which is particularly imperative within the medical sector. Which is why at Withnell Sensors, we offer UKAS accredited data logger calibrations, allowing us to deliver the best possible accuracies on the market.
Get in touch today to find out more about finding the right medical data logger for you.
