Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see domestic style refrigerators being used to store vaccines and drugs in chemists, hospitals and even at your local GP. There can be serious implications with doing so as domestic style refrigerators are not designed to handle such critical product. There are many disadvantages when it comes to storing vaccines, including:
- The ideal temperature range for vaccines is 2-8C. If the temperature drops to 0C the vaccines can be frozen and this is what causes the most damage. Temperatures above 8C can also destroy the vaccines. This could lead to patients been given vaccines that won't protect them, and/or you having to discard thousands of dollars worth of vaccines.
- It is not recommended to use a cyclic defrost refrigerator are as they have wide temperature control and frequently go above the recommended temperature range.
- Most domestic refrigerators are not fan forced and have poor temperature recovery after the door has been opened.
- Most domestic style refrigerators are susceptible to the ambient temperature causing higher than ideal temperature control.
Purpose built vaccine refrigerators like the Thermoline Scientific Vaccine Refrigerators offer many advantages including:
- Temperatures are maintained in the 2C to 8C range. This minimises the risk of vaccines being stored outside the recommended temperature range and becoming impotent.
- Vaccine refrigerators have good temperature recovery after a door has been opened due to being fan forced and using higher quality insulation and double or triple glazed doors.
- There is more usable space for storing vaccines as there is no drawers or door storage compartments.
- Other temperature-sensitive medical products, such as pharmaceuticals, may be stored in a vaccine refrigerator.
- The Thermoline vaccine/pharmacy fridges all have high and low temperature logging standard on the digital controller.
- The vaccine refrigerator will alarm when the temperature exceeds the minimum or maximum allowed.
- A vaccine refrigerator will maintain the 2C to 8C temperature range during a defrost.
- All Thermoline vaccine refrigerators have a lockable door or doors.
- Thermoline vaccine and pharmacy refrigerators have the option of glass door or solid door.
- The option of a Low Temperature Protective Cutout (LTPC) in the event of a failure which will act as an an additional safety to prevent freezing of drugs or vaccines.
- The Pharmacy Guild requires accredited pharmacists to have purpose built vaccine refrigerator. All pharmacy/vaccine refrigerators sold by Thermoline Scientific meet their Quality Care Pharmacy Program.
Vaccine refrigerators are all Quality Care Pharmacy Program Approved.
For more information, please view our pharmacy refrigerators product page at this link: https://www.thermoline.com.au/category/pharmacy-vaccine-refrigerators
