K+N first logistics firm to earn network-wide CEIV-Pharma cert

Kuehne + Nagel has become the first logistics provider to earn IATA’s CEIV certification for pharmaceuticals to cover its entire KN PharmaChain air network, which involves 86 locations worldwide. The certification, earned through IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceuticals (CEIV-Pharma) program, is an assurance that shipments of sensitive pharmaceuticals are handled with the utmost care to prevent temperature excursions throughout the supply chain.

KN PharmaChain is a service offered by K+N to provide real-time monitoring and visibility using “active transmitting sensors and proactive intervention,” which allows shippers to verify the state of their shipments of pharmaceuticals, a growing contributor to airfreight profits.

The key to CEIV-Pharma’s success, however, is to make sure that all parts of the supply chain are committed to the same high level of quality. For its part, K+N plans to “drive this standard towards our supply-chain partners, as well for the benefit of our customers,” said Marcel Fujike, K+N’s senior vice president of products and services for global air logistics.

“Kuehne + Nagel’s strategy to join the CEIV-Pharma certification demonstrates the importance of such programs for the air cargo and pharmaceutical industries,” added Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president of airport, passenger, cargo and security. “Our joint effort to certify the global KN PharmaChain network, as well as the integration of the IATA CEIV-Pharma standards, like the CEIV checklist, in Kuehne + Nagel’s quality process, is a key step forward to roll out this program worldwide.”

With more than 170 locations across all modes of transport, K+N operates one of the world’s largest multi-modal pharma networks. The forwarder’s pharma network is designed to handle critical, time-sensitive general cargo, including ambient or temperature-controlled door-to-door services for clients in the healthcare industry.