Jeff Gentry, international airfreight manager at MD Logistics, has passed with distinction the IATA Training & Development Institute’s course in transportation logistics of healthcare products held in Indianapolis.
Gentry, who had been involved with moving pharmaceuticals for MDL for more than 16 years, reported that the course focused on:
- Globalization of the healthcare industry and its specific logistical needs
- Healthcare product distribution in air cargo and the procedures required/regulatory oversight for handling time- and temperature-sensitive shipments
- The role of packing technology in the distribution process
- The importance and use of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and quality management systems
- Critical control points and identifying potential risks
- The correct use of the new IATA Time- and Temperature- Sensitive Handling label The course included several group studies, such as packing a temperature-sensitive item, putting a SOP into action, and analysis of pharmaceutical case studies.
The final class session was a challenge game in a question-and-answer format, with the class members divided into teams. Gentry’s team won the game.
The course concluded with a test of essay and multiple-choice questions, including material not covered in the coursework. To earn certification “with distinction,” as Gentry did, class members had to answer all the questions correctly.
The course was attended by shippers (Roche, Johnson & Johnson), airline representatives (Delta, Cargolux), freight forwarders/3PLs (MDL, Schenker, Sentry, Biostorage), and the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
