Compliance with Refrigeration

June 14, 2019

Compliance with refrigeration is a critical aspect of the successful operation of your business or company. Compliance deals with the acknowledgment and implementation of meeting specific requirements. In the healthcare world, there are three particular areas that a healthcare facility should prioritize in terms of compliance: USP, ADA, and Accreditation.

  • USP (United States Pharmacopeia): USP has recently updated Cleanroom specific guidelines to act as a "safety net" including the assurance of proper storage of any medicine. USP's assurance of safety encompasses from the point of creation of medicine to when the patient is administered the medicine.  USP <800> which focuses on the handling of hazardous drugs in healthcare settings, becomes effective in 2019 and calls for the following in regards to airflow and system pressure: environmental chambers must operate at a negative pressure, Pass-through refrigerators can no longer be used, Conventional refrigerators must be vented outside the room, and dedicated refrigeration must be maintained. Failing to comply with <USP800> can result in fines, suspensions, or loss of license.
  • ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that calls for the compliance towards prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all facets of public life. As per the guidelines, if an employee meets the specification of a qualified individual with a disability then as the employer, one must institute workplace accommodations. Doing this ensures that needs and accommodations are met for those qualified individuals so that they are granted the same rights and privileges in your workplace as those without disabilities. With new construction and renovations, there is the requirement for ADA compliance including specific height and depth of countertops and other work surfaces. As a result, special care should be taken to ensure proper size and installation of refrigeration units. 
  • Accreditation: This is the process of review that allows healthcare organizations to demonstrate their ability to meet regulatory requirements and standards established by a recognized accreditation organization (ex: ACHC). Having accreditation proves that your healthcare facility provides high-quality care. An important example of accreditation is the need to show an effective and accurate system to monitor temperature with refrigeration units and to access historical data to ensure the viability of stored contents and patient safety.

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Phononic Excels in Refrigeration Compliance

Phononic supports compliance with USP, ADA, and Accreditation guidelines. In doing so, this provides both staff and patient satisfaction, as well as patient safety. Staff satisfaction is met in the assurance of reliable and effective refrigeration products that also accommodate those with disability needs pertaining to height and depth of the refrigerators. By providing more convenient, ergonomic, and accessible refrigeration this can allow for better service and care towards patients and thus greater patient satisfaction. We also support added security and safety through our add-on feature of products that include integrating locks with ADCs. As a result, hospital staff can be assured of heightened security of medications and vaccines. Meanwhile, patients can be assured of increased safety precautions thus eliminating medicine complications and reducing errors. Solid State medical refrigeration also saves you from costly renovations that could surmount to $100,000 in construction in an effort to meet USP <800> guidelines. Compressor free refrigeration is an easy solution of being Cleanroom ready with no concern of the mess, noxious fumes, or fluids common with a compressor free refrigeration unit. Phononic meets Cleanroom expectations through the use of constant temperature monitoring for stable storage temperatures, a modern and simple design for easier cleaning, and no special ventilation required as there is no compressor to disperse particulates in need of venting.