American scientists evaluated the performance of 20 different old refrigerators used on farms and concluded that they are unsuitable for storing pharmaceutical products.
During the study, the scientists recorded the internal temperature in each of the 20 refrigerators every 10 minutes and collected about a million data points. Their goal was to track how vaccines and other pharmaceuticals are stored in real conditions on farms and whether the temperature regime indicated on the labels is observed.
As a result, it was found that domestic refrigerators were outside the recommended temperature in 37% of cases, mini-refrigerators in 27% of cases, commercial refrigerators in 2% of cases.
The data confirms the results of an earlier study in 2008, when out of more than 190 refrigerators used by livestock breeders, pharmacies, manufacturers and veterinary clinics to store veterinary drugs, 76% were found to be unusable.
It is noted that the location of the device is important. Refrigerators located in sheds performed worst of all, those located in temperature-controlled rooms performed best.
Scientists recommend that livestock breeders not leave this factor unattended and monitor the temperature in refrigerators using digital thermometers, which will help record the maximum and minimum temperature during the day, or using cheaper dial thermometers. It is also recommended to keep the inside of the refrigerator clean and carry out periodic preventive maintenance of the appliance.
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