Out of all the warehouses that have been affected by COVID-19, the world of pharmaceutical storage perhaps saw the biggest upticks.

It makes sense – with information changing almost daily as to which medications work best to curb the symptoms of COVID-19, as well as the other seasonal illnesses we all face during the time COVID was at its peak in most states, the world of pharmaceutical storage and transport was pushed to its absolute limits.

If your warehouse deals in pharmaceutical goods, whether you sell them directly to consumers or you store needed supplies for healthcare agencies, you were likely impacted by this flood as well. And even now that many states are reporting a stark decrease in COVID-19 cases, the precautionary measures and increased sales volume are likely far from over.

Medical Supply Storage, Post-COVID 19

The world of healthcare storage has long been among the most tightly regulated and most strictly controlled of storage operations, even before coronavirus reared its ugly head. Things like sterile medical shelving and increased employee sanitation were common sights in pharmaceutical warehouses, simply due to the regulations and requirements set by various government agencies regarding the storage of medical goods.

In these days of increased awareness of communicable disease thanks to COVID-19, everyday operations inside medical storage warehouses have come under even greater scrutiny. Companies are scrambling to pass increased safety protocols and changed work procedures as they ramp their employee count back up, but it can be difficult to know where to start and what to focus on as you try to get your team back in action.

While every warehouse will face their own unique challenges and needs, there’s a number of issues every one of them will face, including:

 Product priorities: Will your warehouse be able to prioritize needed products/supplies as needed by your customers, clients, or government regulations?

• Social distancing: Does your warehouse offer sufficient space amongst its warehouse shelving to let your workers stay a minimum safe distance apart?
• Shift staggering: Do you have enough of a workforce to stagger their shift times and break times, preventing a grouping of too many workers in one area? Does anyone need to move shifts, or start at a different time to prevent congestion in the common areas?
• Warehouse maintenance: Above and beyond standard maintenance and repair, does your warehouse include safety features like HEPA filters and sanitation areas that need to be replaced or refreshed at times? Will you need to supply additional safety masks and protective gloves above and beyond the usual equipment?
• Worker safety: Are you able to perform routine health checks on your team as they come into the office, even if it’s just a temperature scan? Do you have a plan in place for warehouse workers that get turned away at the door for not being healthy enough to work?

By asking these questions about your warehouse and your operations, you can get out ahead of a lot of potential issues, and work to keep your warehouse safer even during these trying times.