A two-year-old girl is in a children’s hospital, being treated for cancer. When such young children need cytostatics, each dose must be individually adjusted according to their body weight and general state of health. It is often a case of emergency, and APL can deliver these tailored medications within four hours at most, and sometimes in as little as two hours.
Here, you can follow this intensive and carefully controlled process in our sterile manufacturing facility.
10.30
The girl’s physician places an order for individually adjusted cytostatics. Ivana at the formulation site receives the order and asks the doctor whether the medication can be sent through one of the regular couriers. The doctor asks for an emergency courier as the treatment is needed fast.
10.45
Ivana informs her colleagues in the sterile manufacturing facility that an emergency order is on its way to them.
10.48
Ivana first checks that all the information required for manufacturing is included, such as dosage, concentration (determined by the patient’s body surface area) and signature. She also ensures that the prescription seems reasonable. Labels are produced and at the same time, Ivana checks the personal information, date, medication shelf life, etc. She then registers the order in the system, prints it out and signs the batch protocol to show that the order is ready for formulation and final checks.
11.05
Ivana places the batch protocol in the through-reach cabinet and walks to the preparation room. She puts on a protective cap and passes through to the first airlock, where she puts on gloves and changes into a lab coat. She reaches the preparation room via the next airlock and places the protocol in another through-reach cabinet to be received in the cleanroom, where the order will now be prepared.
11.15
In the cleanroom, Agneta receives the order from Ivana. She gathers the products on the list and checks names, article numbers, batch numbers, strength, and height and weight measurements.
11.20
Agneta cleans the products with alcohol before placing them on a safety bench. She adds the syringes she needs and follows the points in the batch protocol. Under strong light, she checks that no particles have entered the bag containing the product. Finally, she affixes the label.
11.22
Agneta places the product in a ziplock bag marked “cytostatics,” completes the batch protocol and puts everything on a special bench for final checking.
11.30
Anna-Carin is already at the bench, checking other products and batch protocols. When she reaches the bag with the patient’s cytostatics, she re-checks all the order information: name, weight, shelf life, aggregate, etc. She then places the bag in a transport box to be taken to the girl’s ward at the Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital in Solna, Sweden. She double-checks everything and signs documentation. She then opens the airlock door, places the product in a green transport box and phones to let her colleague Anna know there is an emergency order ready for delivery. Anna comes to collect it.
11.35
Anna checks off and registers the order in the system and calls the courier firm to order emergency transport to the hospital ward. She then waits for the courier.
11.50
The courier arrives to collect the treatment and deliver it to the hospital.
12.45
Just over two hours after the order is placed, the formulation is received in the ward and the young patient can begin her cytostatics treatment.
