Medical-grade refrigeration and comprehensive temperature monitoring have been touted by this publication and many other hospital pharmacy practitioners and advocates for a number of years now. A device that was once considered simple and unworthy of strict clinically guided use has become the opposite of that: sophisticated and essential to good patient care. While there has never been a time when proper storage and management of vaccines and other temperature-sensitive products was not important, given the global experiences of the last year, the value of ensuring the viability of refrigerated products is now particularly stark.

Fortunately, there are a number of vendors featuring a variety of configurations to best fit your operations and those of the hospital at large. Implementing medical-grade refrigeration and a robust temperature monitoring system truly is more important than ever. Doing so offers the peace of mind that lifesaving and life-restoring products are ready to be used as intended.

Furthermore, the pharmacy should champion the use of medical-grade refrigeration throughout the hospital, including on the units and in the ED. These high-quality devices are also well suited for the cleanroom, as hazardous-drug-specific refrigerators are now commonly designated for HD storage. Simply put, all health care institutions that rely on vital, temperature-sensitive products can benefit from the products and services on the following pages.

We hope the resources in this issue can help you improve control over temperature sensitive products, gain and maintain regulatory compliance, and focus the pharmacy’s considerable acumen on other essential tasks. As always, we pass along our best wishes for your continued health and safety.

All the best,

R. Mitchell Halvorsen
Publisher