A large health system with a pharmacy focused on managing and dispensing investigational drugs for research participants and clinical teams was expanding. They needed additional cold storage space to accommodate the new APIs required for critical research that would be ongoing for an undefined amount of time. The pharmacy is a core facility that provides services to investigators throughout the health and attached educational system. They offer a wide range of investigative products, natural products, biologics, and medical devices.
With this expansion, additional cold storage was needed to accommodate growth demands. The client used fifteen reach-in refrigeration systems, each requiring its own validation process. The refrigeration system required a standard 4°C temperature, but with the ever-changing demands of the health system flexibility and efficiency were critical. Frequent access made maintaining exact temperature control challenging and put the quality and viability of the biologics stored at risk.
Helmer® Scientific, a business of Trane Technologies Life Science Solutions, had a long-term relationship with the client. Helmer is considered an expert at providing innovative technology and a high level of service within the large health system as a supplier of various cold storage solutions. The compounding pharmacy contacted Helmer to discuss their current situation and growing needs.
The Helmer representative conducted a site visit and discovered that the client had specific needs.
The visit and needs assessment led the Helmer representative to conclude that a walk-in cold room was the ideal solution for the client. They took a consultative approach and partnered with FARRAR®, a sister business within Trane Technologies, to devise this cold storage space. FARRAR’s Engineered Solutions team specializes in proven, engineered, integrated, controlled-environment walk-in and drive-in cold storage including bulk storage, blast-freeze, and production freezers.
Helmers’s strong relationship with the client enabled the trust needed to transition from a reach-in environment to a walk-in cold storage solution. The FARRAR ES team consulted with the client to engineer a solution that addressed the immediate need for cold storage and provided efficiencies that reduced validation demands and created redundancies as well as energy savings.
The shift from validating fifteen reach-in refrigeration units to one walk-in room was a tremendous process time saver. Each unit would have required individual temperature mapping, maintenance, and regulatory compliance checks, making the process more demanding and labor-intensive. Evaluating energy efficiency and maintaining and managing regulatory compliance for one room versus multiple units also became more streamlined.
The 4°C walk-in cold room was designed for easy access to its stored contents. The 14’w x 10’d x 8.5’h chamber contained a custom-tracked 11’ racking system that allowed the customer to get in and out of the chamber quickly. It reduced the number of door openings needed, saving them money and energy consumption while supporting the need for precise temperature control.
The client was delighted with its new centralized cold storage solution, eliminating 15 reach-in units and creating extra floor space for other purposes. Redundant units are no longer necessary in the event of equipment failure. They were designed with fully redundant condensing units, evaporators, and electronic expansion valves to help safeguard critical materials. Ultimately, implementing a walk-in solution negated the need for multiple reach-ins.