Panalpina Bogota has been certified to WHO Good Distribution Practice (GDP), the company’s 31st location to obtain the standard for distribution of medical products for human use.
The unit in Colombia’s capital completed a two-day audit by inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS.
Colombia is Latin America’s fourth largest pharmaceutical market after Brazil, Mexico and Panama, with most major international pharmaceutical companies doing business in the country.
Among the top 20 pharmaceutical companies in terms of revenue, there are also a handful of Colombian players with domestic production, mainly of generic medicinal products, with 82 per cent of Colombian pharmaceutical imports and 47 per cent of exports travelling through Bogota.
Panalpina managing director for Colombia, Angelo Dotto says: “We are proud about this achievement, and this is great news for our healthcare customers who demand strict quality and temperature control measures in the supply chain to ensure the safety and integrity of their products.”
Panalpina entered the Colombian market in 1962 and has its head office in Bogota, with offices in Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla and Pereira, as well as an agent office in Buenaventura.
The company offers pharma companies with international air and ocean freight as well as value-added logistics services, with Dotto commenting: “We see great growth potential in this business area, considering that the growth rate of this industry in Colombia is five per cent per year.”
