The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the global collaborative platform Pharma.Aero have joined forces to strengthen IATA’s Certification for the Excellence in Pharmaceutical Handling (CEIV Pharma) programme, the certification for excellence in pharmaceutical-product handling.

"Over a two-year period, the two organizations conducted a thorough study of the CEIV Pharma programme, involving certified entities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and professionals within the air logistics sector. The findings of this comprehensive study were published in a white paper," reads the release.

This project identified a number of opportunities within the programme, including:

- Building awareness: increasing engagement with authorities to ensure ongoing integration of global best practices into the programme

- Continuous improvements of the certification process: training modules, checklist layout and Independent Validator qualifications to ensure a strong foundation for the future growth of the certification

- Increase visibility of IATA CEIV Pharma within the life science manufacturing sector

- Expand network to make it more accessible to smaller enterprises and in underserved markets

- Enhance IATA ONE Source, an industry platform for validated aviation capability and infrastructure information to enable integration with other platforms.

“The CEIV Pharma programme is a trusted mark of quality and excellence in the handling of pharmaceuticals, with hundreds of companies globally across the supply chain, including airlines, ground handling service providers and freight forwarders, achieving certification. This initiative between Pharma.Aero and IATA underscores the continuous commitment to not just maintain but elevate CEIV Pharma certification. Extensive dialogue with stakeholders has been instrumental in new identifying opportunities for the programme such as reaching smaller enterprises and better serving underserved markets as well as process enhancements,” said Frédéric Léger IATA senior vice president of commercial products and services.

Trevor Caswell, chairman of Pharma.Aero, lauded the collective efforts of Pharma.Aero members participating in the 2-year project. “As a leading advocate for excellence in pharmaceutical logistics, Pharma.Aero leverages the collective expertise of our global community to drive innovation and best practices in the industry. We commend all our members for their time and dedication to this project. Their contributions were decisive in getting first-hand experiences to accurately assess the CEIV Pharma certification and identify opportunities for enhancement”, said Caswell. “Together, as Pharma.Aero, we are driving positive change in pharmaceutical logistics to better serve the needs of patients globally”, concluded Trevor Caswell.