Medical refrigerators are crucial in the pharmaceutical industry, and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how important it is to have vaccines readily available with safe and efficient storage. Vaccines are simple and effective for preventing the spread of infectious diseases but require specific temperature and humidity conditions when stored. This means choosing the right medical refrigerator is somewhat challenging for pharmacy and nursing applications. In this blog post, we will outline what key factors to consider when choosing a medical refrigerator.
Key Factors of a Medical Refrigerator
Choosing the right medical refrigerator is necessary to ensure the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Without the correct temperatures and operating conditions, vaccines can degrade and lose their potency, resulting in reduced effectiveness or even causing harm to a patient. Let’s look at some essential features of a medical refrigerator and why it’s important for vaccine storage.
Capacity
Depending on the setting and the demand for vaccines, the capacity of a refrigerator will impact the future growth of the pharmacy. Having enough space will ensure vaccines are not stored inaccurately or left to degrade.
Ease of Use
Medical refrigerators must be easy to use because, in busy pharmaceutical settings, one error could be costly. User-friendly controls are vital, and an alarm should be fitted in case of a power failure or if the door is left open. Additionally, the refrigerator door needs to open and close easily but must have a solid seal to maintain the required temperatures.
Energy Efficiency
Energy-efficient instruments are crucial for reducing energy consumption, costs, and environmental impact. When choosing a medical refrigerator, look for a suitable energy rating and check whether it uses environmentally-friendly refrigerants.
Temperature Control
Temperature controls and monitoring systems are critical for safely storing vaccines, which is why commercial refrigerators are required. Medical refrigerators must be able to operate between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, as the ideal temperature for storing vaccinations is 5 C, and it is imperative that vaccines are not frozen.1
Although other factors can be considered based on personal preferences or pharmaceutical settings, the most important factors for vaccine storage are capacity, ease of use, energy efficiency, and temperature controls.
ARES SCIENTIFIC and Medical Refrigerators
ARES Scientific supplies a wide range of innovative and reliable scientific equipment worldwide. Our team is filled with experts from different scientific fields, and they provide the scientific community with support in identifying and implementing the most suitable instruments for their applications.
One of the medical refrigerators we supply is the Follett REF1 medical-grade countertop refrigerator 1 Cu. Ft., which is an environmentally friendly, stainless steel solution for effectively storing vaccines. The Follet REF1 comprises a stainless steel body, a heavy-duty compressor, and a user-friendly interface, through which many parameters can be monitored and controlled. Some key features include:
- Nominal capacity of 1 cu ft (28L)
- Operating temperatures of 2.2 to 10 degrees Celsius
- Temperature display in Celsius or Fahrenheit
- High and low-temperature alarms (audible and visual)
Contact a member of our team today to learn more about the importance of choosing the right medical refrigerator for vaccine storage.
References and Further Reading
- https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/admin/storage/downloads/c-vax-temp-best-practices-fridge-c.pdf
- https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization
