Why Pest Control is Essential for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Pharmaceutical facilities are subject to strict governance and regulations. Audits and Inspection could be impacted by pest presence in your facility, so it's critically important that there is a zero-tolerance for pest activity.

The pharmaceutical industry is subject to the same pests as many other industries but the consequences of the smallest infestation are greater than most. Even in the toughest environments pests are determined to find shelter and food.

• Rats & Mice - Can enter buildings and facilities utilising gaps the width of a pencil. Even modern facilities are susceptible to rodents.
• Flying Insects – Pose a high risk to pharmaceutical facilities. The most common flying insects include House Flies, Fruit Flies, Bluebottles, Drain Flies and Cluster Flies.
• Crawling insects – Cockroaches cause particular problems because of their ability to find and utilise small places. 
• Birds - Are known carriers of a range of harmful pathogens and were recently cited as a “contributing factor” in human deaths (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-46953707)
• Stored product insects – Such as Beetles, Weevils, Moths and Mites pose hazards to stored products and raw materials

Find out about more about the Pests you may encounter and how Pest Pulse deals with them.

Pest Control Good Practice for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Distributors

The EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Distribution Practice (GDP) both give guidance on Pest Control for manufacturers and distributors of medicinal products.

GMP

4.29 There should be written policies, procedures, protocols, reports and the associated records of actions taken or conclusions reached, where appropriate, for the following examples:

- Pest Control
- Technology Transfer
- Environmental Monitoring
...

Source: EudraLex - Volume 4 - Good Manufacturing Practice Medicinal Products for Human and Veterinary Use https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/files/eudralex/vol-4/chapter4_01-2011_en.pdf

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GDP

Premises should be designed and equipped so as to afford protection against the entry of insects, rodents or other animals. A preventive pest control programme should be inplace.

Source: Guidelines of 5 November 2013 on Good Distribution Practice of medicinal products for human use https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:343:0001:0014:EN:PDF

Pest Pulse can provides  evidence and reports to meet GDP, GMP requirements and uses industry leading 24/7 smart monitors to deliver preventative pest control programmes to meet the high standards and risk profile of Pharmaceutical businesses.

The Consequences of Pests in a Clinical Environment 

Pests can affect the Pharmaceutical industry through damage of buildings and product as well as cross contamination. The impact of Pests could be wide-ranging:

• Loss of trust from customers, suppliers and industry leaders
• Damage to your brand and reputation
• Costly damage to products and batch recalls
• Shuttering of production lines could lead to a loss in revenue
• You could be liable for claims for compensation
• Possible legal action from public health authorities or regulatory bodies
  

Preventing Pests in Pharmaceutical Facilities

Cockroaches

When foraging for food and water, Cockroaches can contaminate materials and surfaces and can be vectors of disease, capable of carrying the organisms which cause food poisoning in humans and many other bacteria.

How to treat for cockroaches in pharmaceutical environments

• Product Storage - Store products in cockroach proof containers and avoid using cardboard and cockroaches may feed on it.
• Drains - Ensure drains either inside or outside are regularly cleaned and maintained to prevent build-ups that could act as a food source for cockroaches
• Proofing - A pest control technician will identify any weak areas around ducting and pipework that could allow cockroaches access to buildings. Using specialist products to block entry and seal holes prevents any infestation.
• Regular Inspection - Regularly inspecting equipment, shipments and your buildings allows problems to be found quickly.

Flies

Flies and other flying insects pose a big threat to pharmaceutical facilities. Flies feed by vomiting saliva onto the food source and sucking up the liquid. The diseases that flies can transmit include dysentery, diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera and more!

How to treat for flies in pharmaceutical environments

• Preventing Access - Good building design and use of fly screens on windows, doors and vents prevents flies access.
• Control Measures - Good practice such as keeping doors and windows shut when not in use.
• Hygiene Standards - Maintaining good hygiene standards will prevent flies from being attracted to office waste and organic matter than act as breeding sites and a food source for flies.
• Electronic Fly Killers - Utilising fly control units that attract and kill flies is an effective method for controlling flies. The location of the fly killer is important as they could attract flies into the building having a negative effect.

Rodents

Rats and Mice can enter buildings and facilities utilising gaps the width of a pencil. Even modern facilities are susceptible to rodents. Breeding quickly, rodents can cause a wide range of damage to buildings and products and materials in any secure environment.

How to treat for rodents in pharmaceutical environments

• Smart Traps - Deploying smart traps the premise and internal areas can be monitored 24/7 for rodent activity and a technician dispatched quickly to follow up on any reported activity.
• Regular Inspection - Regularly inspecting equipment, shipments and your buildings allows problems to be found quickly.
• Hygiene Standards - Maintaining good hygiene standards will prevent rodents from being attracted to office waste and organic matter.
• Bin Storage - Ensuring bins are designed to prevent rodent infestations and are kept away from buildings helps prevent rodents from moving easily between food and shelter.

Birds

Birds are known carriers of a range of harmful pathogens and can cause damage to properties especially roofs by building nests and dislodging roofing materials in search of food. Birds that nest on roofs can block gutters and drain pipes with nesting material and feathers. Bird droppings on paved areas can be easily transmitted inside buildings contaminating surfaces and equipment.

How to treat for Birds in pharmaceutical environments

• Spikes - Not harmful to the birds but covering the edge of a roof with spikes prevent birds landing and sitting on building sides.
• Netting - Large nets can cover roofs to prevent nesting birds and can also prevent access to internal courtyards which often make good targets for birds.
  

Pest Pulse offers a range of 24/7 smart pest control systems suitable for use in pharmaceutical facilities. We tailor our pest control programmes to match the risk level of your premises allowing us to monitor, alert and eliminate pests.