EFL 3PL, a member of the leading conglomerate Expolanka Holdings PLC, has been certified by Bureau Veritas as a ‘GDP certified 3PL service provider’ for its pharmaceutical supply chain, thereby making them the first logistics company in Sri Lanka to obtain this certification.

This internationally reputed certification cements the company’s new focus on expanding its pharma vertical in keeping with its vision of offering best-in-class compliance standards to its customers. Bureau Veritas is a globally recognised leader in certifications of management systems, ensuring organisations comply with international standards, EFL said in a media release.

The Good Distribution Practices (GDP) Certification for pharmaceuticals secured by EFL 3PL demonstrates the company’s dedication to good distribution practices and quality in every aspect of its service offerings. In essence, Good Distribution Practices (GDP) is a quality system for warehouse and distribution centres dedicated for medicines. The scheme ensures that consistent quality management systems are in place throughout your entire supply chain, from the early delivery of raw materials to the manufacturing plants, to the final shipment of finished drugs to the end user.

“Within a short period of time EFL has successfully established itself as a forerunner in healthcare logistics regionally, the GDP certification provides our valuable clients with the added reassurance that their precious cargo is being stored, managed and transported in the best possible manner in accordance to global best practices,” said Saif Yusoof – Managing Director, EFL.

A valid GDP certificate demonstrates that EFL 3PL is committed to quality in every aspect of its service, and is a vital partner of the healthcare supply chain. The certification ensures adherence to high standards of quality assurance and integrity of the distribution processes of pharmaceutical products; uniformity in licensing of wholesaling of pharmaceutical products; and facilitating removal of barriers to trade in pharmaceutical products.

“By being the first to achieve the GDP Certification, Expolanka has demonstrated its commitment to uphold the quality and integrity of pharmaceutical products throughout the supply chain,” said Shan Nanayakara – Country General Manager, Bureau Veritas, according to the media release.

During the pharmaceutical GDP certification process, highly-qualified independent auditors analysed various facets of EFL 3PL’s operations, including Organisation and Management; Personnel; Quality System including the traceability process; Premises, warehousing and storage (storage condition and stock control) Transportation and products in transit; Complaint Handling and many other critical areas.