This document outlines good warehouse practices for storing goods including pharmaceutical products. It discusses premises requirements for storage areas, security, temperature and humidity control, equipment, personnel, sanitation, receiving and issuing goods, packing for transportation, and maintaining records. Key requirements include storing products under appropriate conditions, maintaining access control, conducting regular cleaning and pest control, and following standard operating procedures for all warehouse activities.

1. Warehousing Practice &
Materials Management
Dr. Smita Bonde
Associate Professor

2. Warehouse
 A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers,
importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs., etc.
Good Warehouse Practices
1. Premises
2. Security
3. Temperature and humidity control
4. Equipment
5. Personnel
6. Sanitation
7. Receipt of incoming goods
8. Assembling orders and issuing
goods
9. Packing for transportation
10. Transport

3. Premises
 Premises should be of suitable size and construction to facilitate cleaning,
maintenance and orderly, segregated storage.
 Storage areas must be designed to provide adequate:
- lightening,
- ventilation,
- temperature,
- sanitation,
- humidity,
- space,
- equipment,
- security conditions

4.  Medicinal products should be stored separate from other goods to avoid the
risk of cross contamination
 Incoming goods should be physically or electronically separated from goods
awaiting distribution until approved by the responsible person
 A segregated area must be provided for the holding and storage of returned
and rejected goods prior to a decision on further action
 A secure, segregated area must be provided for the storage of controlled
drugs
 A separate, designed area should be provided for the assembly of customer
orders

5. Security
 Storage areas should be provided with security to prevent theft or
unauthorised entry
 Maintain a control of who may enter the facilities
 Establish system for controlling access to the facility (including all entrances
and exits)

6. Temperature and Humidity Control
 All drug products must be stored at appropriate conditions as stated on the
label of the product
 The temperature of all storage areas should be regularly monitored.
 Controlled temperature storage areas should be equipped with recorders and
devices which indicate when the specific temperature range has not been
maintained.
 A written procedure must specify the action to be taken when this occurs.
Control should be adequate to ensure that all parts of the storage area are
kept within the specified temperature range
 Should always be a back up system in case main system fails

7.  The humidity of all storage areas should be regularly monitored using
recorders and devices which document the humidity measures
 If the product spec require a specific humidity, a written procedure must
specify the action to be taken when the specified humidity range has not
been maintained.
 Establish a normal operating baseline of humidity if no specific value is
required
 Records of temperature and humidity in all storage areas should be reviewed
and retained by a designated responsible person

8. Equipment
 There should be a planned preventative maintenance programme in place
 Recording and control equipment should be calibrated and checked at defined
intervals by appropriate methods
 Alarm set-points should be checked on periodic intervals
 A computerised system used for stock control/distribution should be validated

9. Personnel
 The organisation chart should be in place
 There should be a sufficient number of staff
 There should be clearly defined job description
 Personnel should be trained in relation to good storage and distribution
practice and to the duties assigned to them
 The current records of training should be in place
 The trainers should have established and approved qualification

10. Sanitation
 A written sanitation program should be in place indicating the frequency and
method of cleaning the facility
 Storage areas should be cleaned and accumulated waste removed at regular
intervals
 A pest control program should be in place
 Smoking, eating and drinking should be permitted only in segregated areas,
and not in those areas used for the storage and handling of final drug product
 Spills involving drug products must be promptly cleaned-up and rendered safe
in accordance with the relevant health and safety requirements for the
product
 Adequate toilet and changing facilities should be provided, and they should
be segregated from the main storage and order assembly areas

11. Receipt of incoming goods
 It should be carried out according to approved adequate SOP:
 visually examine for identity against the relevant supplier’s documentation
 visually examine for damage
 sub-divide according to batch numbers if more than one batch
 reject product if damage or otherwise unfit for use
 handle high security materials (control drug, high value items, products
requiring a specific storage temperature)
 confirm with signature that receiving goods are as specified by supplier or if
not provide adequate comments

12. Assembling orders and issuing goods
 It should be carried out according to approved adequate SOP:
 Pick up goods according to formal despatch documents
 Assemble complete order
 Visually examine for identity and completeness
 Visually examine for damage
 Confirm with signature properly assembled order
 Prepare adequate shipping package to protect any damage of goods, seal pack
and provide relevant identification
 The heat sensitive drugs if not transported by appropriate specialised means
should be provided isolated packing

13. Packing for transportation
 Products should be packed in such a way that:
 the identification of the product is not lost,
 the product does not contaminate and is not contaminated by other products or
materials
 adequate precautions are taken against spillage and breakage
 products requiring controlled temperature storage should be provided with
insulated packs
 there should be in place documented evidence that the insulated packs ensured
adequate transport conditions with regards to:
 - product quantity
 - ambient temperature
 - maximum delivery time.

14. Transport
 Products should be transported in such a way that:
 The safety, identity, strength, quality and purity of the product is not lost
 The product is not contaminated by other products or materials
 Adequate precautions are taken against spillage or breakage
 The product and its package are not subjected to unacceptable degrees of heat, cold, light,
moisture or other adverse influences nor to attack by micro-organisms or pests
 Drug products requiring controlled temperature storage by appropriate specialised means or
should be packed with adequate insulation
 Documents should be provided to cover all shipments. These document should include as
minimum:
 name of the product
 quantity of the product
 special storage and handling instructions

15. Records
Following records should be in place:
 receiving goods
 issuing goods
 training
 monitoring temperature and humidity
 cleaning operation
 pest control
 calibration
 preventative maintenance
 recall
 complaints
 inventory
 log of signature

16. Materials Management
 Procedures
 Each procedure should be approved, signed, and dated by the person responsible for the quality system. The
following procedure should be developed.
 1. Receipt of incoming product
 2. Processing orders
 3. Stock movement and control
 4. Thefts, losses and discrepancies in inventory
 5. Returned goods
 6. Recall
 7. Complaints
 8. Disposal of unsaleable goods
 9. Repacking and labelling
 10.Deviation
 11.Change control

17. Receipt of incoming product
 Visually examine for identity against the relevant supplier’s documentation
 Visually examine for damage
 Sub-divide according to batch numbers if more than one batch
 Reject product if damage or otherwise unfit for receipt/ distribution
 Define the record-keeping process identifying
 - source of drug,
 - name and address of seller and transferor
 - identity of drug
 - quantity
 - date of receipt and disposition
 Handle high security materials (control drug, high value items, products requiring
a specific storage temperature)

18. Processing orders
 Formal sales order or formal records of customer’s order requirements
 Despatch documents should contained as a minimum:
- date of despatch,
- customer’s name and address,
- product name/ form/ lot number/ expiry date/ quantity sent,
- any special handling or storage instruction,
- additional information according to local or international regulation,
 Visually examine for identity
 Visually examine for damage
 Not shipped if these requirements are not met

19. Stock rotation and control
 Define process by which product stock should be issued (first in -first out) and
any exceptions to process (specific demands from a specific batch)
 Define when periodic stock reconciliation should be performed
 Define process to be used to investigate any significant stock discrepancies
 Define a process of identifying outdated stock and moving it to a quarantine
area

20. Thefts, losses and discrepancies in inventory
 Conduct a thorough investigation and document all action
 Record losses, thefts or diversions and notify appropriate corporate personnel
 Take measures to address the cause of theft, loss or diversion

21. Returned goods
 Products which have left the control of the wholesaler, should only be
returned to saleable stock if:
- the goods are in their original unopened containers and in good condition,
- it is known that the goods have been stored and handled under proper conditions,
- the remaining shelf life period is acceptable,
- they have been examined and assessed by a person authorised to do so,
- special attention should be given to products requiring special storage conditions.
 All returned goods should be kept apart from saleable stock until approved by
a nominated responsible person
 Records of returns should be kept, the responsible person should formally
release goods to be returned to stock

22. Recall
 Products can only be recalled by decision of the Head of Quality Assurance
 Define who contacts regulatory authorities concerning any recall
 Define the means whereby recalled products can be traced and obtained from the
market
 Establish records of any recalled products
 Establish segregated storage area for any recalled products
 Remove recalled product from saleable stock and store in a segregated area
 Only relevant QA Manager or responsible person could make decision on recalled
product fate
 The effectiveness of the arrangements for recalls should be evaluated from time
to time

23. Disposal of unsaleable goods
 Stock which is no longer fit for sale must be segregated from other stock
before ultimate disposal or destruction
 Destruction of unsaleable goods must be carried out in accordance with local
legislation or guidelines issued by each manufacturer
 There must be a written record kept of all goods destroyed showing product
name, batch number, pack size, quantity and methods of destruction

24. Repacking and labelling
 Wherever possible, repacking and labelling process should be carried out at
the Principal’s own licensed premises.
 In any necessary case of carrying out repacking or labelling process at
wholesaler site following factors must be applied:
 dedicated area for this operation,
 adequate procedure described operation,
 each step of the operation should be recorded, records should
 also contain identification and quantity of product and packaging materials
 all work should be supervised by Principal’s QC or QA
 representative