Pioneers Sustainable Healthcare with Innovative Medicines Returns System

Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), a leading institution in sustainable and innovative healthcare, and Timestrip UK, a leading supplier of time and temperature indicators. are spearheading a groundbreaking initiative to address challenges in re-allocating medicines returned unused from patients.

A panel of 14 hospitals across The Netherlands is implementing a system involving sealed bags containing oncology medicines and Timestrip neo indicators for drugs dispensed to patients. The neo indicators were selected for their clear irreversible alerts, small size and reliability.

Currently, unused medicines returned by patients are not re-dispensed, leading to wastage and potential delays in treatment. Recognizing the need for a more sustainable approach, researchers at Radboudumc have embarked on a trial to evaluate the practicality of a returns system that ensures the authenticity and proper storage conditions of returned medicines.

The panel of 14 hospitals that have been established to participate in the trial comprises six university hospitals, six teaching hospitals and two general hospitals.

When any of the drugs used in the trial are returned to the hospital pharmacy unused, the pharmacists can check that the package has not been interfered with, and that the temperatures incurred during storage and transport have not exceeded specified limits.

A custom neo indicator was developed to monitor three oncology medicine temperature ranges:
2ºC, 25ºC and 30ºC. A series of LEDs on the front of the indicator show clearly when certain temperature limits have been breached. The indicators also show the duration of exposure to 25ºC up to eight hours.

As the neo indicator alerts are clear and irreversible, clinicians can have confidence in the readings, and a further safeguard is included in the form of a QR code on each indicator that can be scanned to provide serial number data for traceability.

Shirley Xie MSc, the Investigator for the trial at Radboudumc, explains: “Using a temperature indicator is important in providing the evidence needed during the trial. We needed a simple yet effective device which gives us a visible confirmation of medicine quality.”

The ongoing trial is expected to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of the proposed system for re-dispensing oncology (and potentially other) medicines, thereby reducing waste.

Miss Xie emphasizes the significance of the trial: "As well as the potential improvements in efficiency and patient care from re-dispensing unused drugs of good quality, there is a sustainability benefit associated with the reduced waste."

Radboudumc remains committed to making a significant impact on health and healthcare, and this initiative aligns with their broader mission of advancing healthcare practices for the benefit of patients and the environment.

Read more about our partnership with Radboudumc on oncology medicine temperature indicators.

Timestrip will be demonstrating our healthcare time and temperature monitors this weekend.

Community and primary care pharmacy professionals will be meeting on the 15th and 16th of October at The Pharmacy Show. This years Pharmacy Show will be held at the NEC in Birmingham.

Come and meet with us - we’ll be at Stand M50. Test and touch our new products and solutions.

If you are a healthcare or pharmaceutical professional, you can get practical content such as how Timestrip time and temperature indicators can streamline your operations.

The Pharmacy Show Birmingham

The Pharmacy Show is the UK's only dedicated trade show and conference for the community and primary care pharmacy sector.

There will be over 300 exhibitors and hundreds of hours of live education content on the latest knowledge, innovations and technology in pharmacy.  

Read more about The Pharmacy Show

Timestrip® has introduced new time indicators to support the storage and handling of coronavirus vaccine supplies. These smart single use indicators provide an irreversible alert if the vaccine is stored in refrigerated conditions (2-8°C) for too long after thawing from deep freeze storage.

In an early case example, now that the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine has been approved for UK use, attention has turned to the logistics of supplying it to huge numbers of people. Timestrip indicators can travel with the vaccine supply and withstand the coldest storage temperatures e.g. down to -70°C, yet react when the vaccine consignment is thawed.

From the Timestrip vaccine range, the VRM30 indicator shows the time that vaccines have been held in the chilled 2-8°C range, and has markers for 1, 5 days up to 30 days, making it a suitable solution for the management of many vaccines including from Pfizer, Moderna / J&J and AstraZeneca. VRM30 is designed to compensate automatically for changes in temperature, responding more quickly in warmer conditions.

When the vaccine has been removed from the fridge into room temperature ready to be administered, a VOR12 indicator can be deployed to alert logistics and healthcare professionals that an 8°C threshold has been breached.

It will show the duration for which the vaccine has been Out of Refrigerator, as the indicator window gradually fills. A completely full window indicates that the maximum allowed storage period has been reached, and the vaccine may be compromised.

The eTimestrip range of electronic indicators comprises single use devices that generate a report via a mobile app, and provide detailed information on time and temperature to responsible healthcare staff. This report can be sent for centralised storage, eliminating the need to return the device itself for data analysis.

Conventionally, data loggers can be used in these applications, but the scale of the current challenge means that Timestrip’s small, robust indicators are a lower cost, practical solution, while supporting compliance with regulations.

We continue to innovate at a rapid pace to provide cost effective monitoring solutions, considering the efforts of the WHO, FDA and government bodies in their respective countries. Our main objective is supporting healthcare teams as they provide safe care to nations worldwide.

Nora Murphy, Commercial Director

Timestrip^®, the developer of smart indicator technology, has released two new ranges designed to be used with the latest coronavirus vaccines now becoming available. The indicators track temperature and time, and will ensure that vaccines are fresh when administered to patients.

The Timestrip Vaccine Thaw Timer is an event thaw indicator with 24 hour time indication calibrated to run at fridge temperatures. It can be packed with vaccines that require storage at -70°C in the ultra-cold chain, and automatically starts monitoring as the vaccine is thawed and transferred to chilled conditions at the hospital or surgery. It then tracks the time from thaw at 6 hours, 12 hours and up to 24 hours, meeting the specifications for use from manufacturers such as Pfizer.    

The Timestrip Vaccine Refrigeration Monitor range comprises three indicators. One is designed to indicate the thawing event of the vaccine; another will time 30 days duration in refrigerator conditions (2°C-8°C), helping the user to manage the vaccine manufacturer’s guidelines for use.

Then, when the vaccine has been taken from the refrigerator and prepared for use, a third indicator monitors how long it has been exposed to temperatures above 8°C, typically at room temperature. The time ‘run out’ for the Vaccine Refrigeration Monitor VOR12 (Vaccine Out of Refrigerator) is up to 12 hours, with shorter times to an alert being seen at higher temperatures. 

These Vaccine Refrigeration Monitor products will help overcome challenges in the handling of COVID-19 vaccines up to the point of administering, and are designed to support the manufacturers’ specification for the handling of vaccines such as those from Moderna.

Both indicators provide a clear irreversible indication to healthcare staff that conditions of storage and handling have exceeded acceptable conditions, and that the vaccine consignment cannot be relied upon. 

Based on safe chemical technology, both the Vaccine Thaw Timer and Vaccine Refrigeration Monitor range overcome the limitations of batteries used at ultra-low temperatures.

We continue to innovate our patented technology to bring the benefits to important applications such as vaccine distribution, supply and last mile handling. Using these indicators, healthcare professionals worldwide can be supported cost effectively, and guided through soon to be routine practices of handling and managing these vital resources.

Nora Murphy, Commercial Director of Timestrip.

Timestrip has recently added other products to its range in response to coronavirus. These include an indicator to monitor antiviral solutions, and Rapid Diagnostics 15, a 15 minute timer indicator for use with rapid turnaround lateral flow test kits.

Novel Indicators Support the Fight Against Coronavirus

Timestrip® , the developer of smart indicator technology, has moved fast to develop a range of products that support use of the coronavirus vaccines now promising to become available. Special liquid indicators have been created by Timestrip which can travel with the frozen vaccine supplies as they move from manufacture to the point of care, ensuring that any excess
temperature breach can be identified.

As one or more vaccines are planned for distribution, attention is focusing on the ultra-cold chain, as Covid-19 vaccines may need to be stored and transported at temperatures as low as -70C. Any breach of the specified temperature conditions is revealed by the new Timestrip smart labels with a clear irreversible indication.

After thawing, vaccines must be used quickly, usually within a few days, and Timestrip indicators are also available to monitor this critical period and alert medical staff to time expired product.

Antiviral treatments such as Gilead’s VEKLURY® product have also to be kept cool, and then after dilution, can be stored for between one and two days - depending on the storage temperature - prior to administration.

Timestrip indicators are available to monitor these conditions and automatically adjust the time to expiry as conditions change.

Other applications now being made available are a range of indicators for virus specimens as they are sent for laboratory testing. The Virus Specimen Transport (VST) series of indicators includes a time / temperature indicator (TTI) that mirrors the response of the virus specimens, and can alert healthcare organisations to compromised samples.

In yet another initiative, Timestrip has introduced ‘Rapid Diagnostics 15’, a short term time indicator designed for use with the new rapid turnaround lateral flow test kits now being rolled out more widely.

As market leaders in the time and temperate indicator sector, we must play our part and support the great work being carried out during the pandemic. We are working to develop cost effective, bespoke solutions to support the regulatory bodies in their efforts to deliver product safely through the cold and ultra-cold supply chains.

Nora Murphy, Commercial Director of Timestrip

Timestrip has a new white paper detailing the importance of monitoring time and temperature parameters during storing and transporting to point of care

For more information on how Timestrip UK Ltd is handling the COVID-19 pandemic, please see this post.

Timestrip®, the developer of smart indicator technology, has developed an important new range of indicators to help healthcare professionals meet WHO guidelines in the handling of virus specimens.

The Timestrip Virus Specimen Transport (VST) series has been specially formulated to provide a clear indication when key temperature levels are exceeded.

These indicators monitor when specimens - including coronavirus – have been stored for too long and outside the required temperature range for reliable testing.

Four products make up the VST range.

Together they form an essential tool to support hospitals, surgeries and medical laboratories in storing and transporting virus specimens correctly, and preserving their integrity.

A virus specimen's exposure to temperature over time is critical to its lifetime, so the VST series includes a unique integrating indicator, the Timestrip VST TTI, which mirrors the accumulated time-temperature history of the virus specimen during transport and storage.

Virology specimen collection guidelines state that most viruses remain stable at 4°C for 2-3 days, so VST TTI is effective with a wide range of virus types.

Designed to meet specific regulations, the TTI label will indicate when 72 hours of chilled storage has elapsed by showing a clear visual discard window. At high temperatures, the label will show the discard indication within just a few hours.

Scientists and clinicians know that bacteria and viruses deteriorate much more quickly as temperatures increase, and also as exposure time increases. For example, at 50-55°C, coronavirus becomes non-infectious within just a few hours.

The VST range of indicators includes a product specifically for monitoring temperatures exceeding 53°C.

FDA and WHO regulations state that it is important to avoid freezing and thawing of specimens.

The Timestrip VST 0°C will reliably track a thawing event. If the ambient temperature rises above freezing, the indicator will show the cumulative period of thawing.

Timestrip VST Fridge Combi includes two indicators. One unique element indicates when a period of 72 hours has passed during chilled conditions (2-8°C), aligning with FDA / WHO regulations.

The other element provides a temperature breach indication, giving a clear signal when conditions have exceeded the regulated upper chilled limit of 8°C/46°F during storage or transport.

“As part of the fight against coronavirus, our new VST virus specimen transport range will help support scientists by monitoring specimens from collection right through to point of test, giving confidence in the integrity of the specimen, and thus the test results.

These simple yet effective products provide a solution to a real problem in the storage and handling of virus specimens, including Covid-19. Medics and laboratory technicians can now have an explicit signal when specimens have breached the safe zone of thermal exposure and are invalid for testing.”

Nora Murphy, Commercial Director of Timestrip UK Ltd

The VST is expected to be the first of many speciality ranges to be offered by Timestrip that provide practical solutions for pathology, microbiology, mycobacteria and other laboratory specimen handling, where temperature and time monitoring are required.

The new Virus Specimen Transport products are available now from Timestrip.

for release 11^th June 2020

As part of the measures to control the spread of coronavirus, many organisations, from hospitals to care homes, are tightening up procedures that involve touching surfaces.

From hospital curtains to pharmaceutical carts to floors, sanitation protocols need strict adherence to prevent contamination more than ever.

In response to this risk, sanitisers and sterilization products such as wipes and solutions are increasingly being put to use. As far as current medical knowledge knows, the virus is very sensitive to the cleaning and disinfecting agents currently in use.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that ‘enveloped’ viruses such as COVID-19 are the easiest type to inactivate using disinfectants.¹

A spokesperson for the American Hospital Association says that while frequent cleaning is standard, hospitals are giving special attention to "high-touch surfaces such as in-room phones, TV/nurse calls, light switches and cords, handles, drawer pulls, bed rails, tray tables and bathroom fixtures.”²

However, sterilizing solutions will only achieve maximum efficacy while still fresh. They must be used within a specified period after being opened and have a limited shelf life.

Timestrip time indicators can be a valuable part of the infection control processes here, and a range of standard products is available.

Timestrip Time indicators are a visual alert that a disinfectant is out of date

Timestrip has a wide range of time monitoring indicators for hospitals in stock for quick ordering and shipment.

For monitoring the shelf life of proprietary sterilisers, our stock 1 and 2 year Timestrip Time indicators are available.

Disinfectant solutions such as medical device sterilizers, dental disinfectants and hospital waterline disinfectants can have shorter shelf lives after preparation.

Timestrip Time 7 Day indicators are a stocked solution that has time markers for 1, 3 and 7 days.

Custom Healthcare Disinfectant Solutions

Timestrip custom solutions are available for specific time or temperature monitoring requirements. We design and manufacture solutions to suit your procedure, product or brand.

For stock (or custom) indicators, custom backing cards can be designed.

They can communicate to hospital workers on sanitisation procedures, give a place to securely attach indicators and and can be kept for validation of protocol.

Shorter time indicators monitor sterilization procedures with critical time components. For example, hospital grade disinfectants with a 1, 3, 5 or 10 minute wait time for max efficacy.

Custom designed time indicators can provide confirmation that an area has been adequately sterilized with markers for 3, 5 and 10 minutes.

Prepared solutions might have specialised shelf life monitoring times.

We can design a Time indicator with monitoring time from a few minutes to 2 years and even include multiple times within that range. Timestrip liquid-based and electronic indicators are ideal as cleaning reminders.

Contact us to get your hospital disinfection time monitoring solution today.

¹ Infection Control Today "Surface Disinfection When Fighting COVID-19"
² NPR "Ships, Planes And Other Spots Are Getting A 'Deep Clean.' What's That Mean?" link

The coronavirus pandemic has led to greatly increased demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). Agencies around the world have been hurriedly shipping any available supplies to healthcare centres, comprising millions of units.

Regrettably, healthcare workers are reporting that some of these supplies are past their stated expiration dates, potentially rendering them unusable for critical procedures such as surgery.

This scenario is a dramatic example of the importance of implementing clear and easy to use indicators to allow monitoring of medical supplies against their designed lifetime, thus ensuring complete efficacy.

Products with finite lifetimes include face mask filters, cannulas and IV feeds, as well as many chemicals such as hand sanitisers.

The Timestrip range of time monitoring indicators includes standard products for 1 year and 2 year periods as well as shorter ones. Bespoke indicators can be produced for other periods.

While the shipping and even the use of time expired medical supplies is understandable in the current public health emergency, healthcare authorities planning their procurement systems have the opportunity to ensure the safe restocking of supplies going forward.

At Timestrip, we are committed to doing all we can to help so please just let us know.

See more about Timestrip healthcare applications >>

An FDA-approved Irreversible Time and Temperature Indicator that ensures that only viable whole blood supplies are used post-transit

The high tech, low cost alternative to electronic dataloggers Delivery of unambiguous safety data FDA approved Ease of use Lower costs Less wastage Low carbon footprint

A critical issue for medical professionals is ensuring the viability of blood supplies once they leave the highly controlled storage environment, such as a blood bank refrigerator or a hospital blood storage facility. This aspect of the so-called blood cold chain is essential for ensuring that these are kept at the correct temperature right up to the time they are administered by trauma units, ERs, operating theatre staff, air/ ground ambulances, and any other situation requiring blood to be transported from storage units out to patients.

During transit, whole blood needs to be kept within a temperature range of 2°C/36^OF to 10°C/50°F. Below this range, there is a risk of freezing with the formation of ice crystals, rendering the blood unusable, while upper temperature breaches create the possibility of blood being affected by an overgrowth of non-specific bacteria, which may have entered the blood unit during collection or component preparation.

Both these situations have serious consequences: the cost implications of a wasted product and/or more seriously, a patient that is put at risk.

To address these issues, Timestrip® has developed its single-use Blood Temp 10 – a high-tech, low cost Irreversible Time & Temperature Indicator that effectively monitors temperature breaches above 10°C/50°F during transit.

No more guesswork

Thanks to its innovative technology, Timestrip® Blood Temp 10 removes this uncertainty by providing clear, unambiguous data as to whether a supply of whole blood is safe to use or be returned to storage.

This is achieved thanks to the smart label’s two indicator windows:

• the first window to indicate if the label has been activated

• the second to indicate if a temperature breach has occurred

Thus, at a glance, medical staff know if a supply of whole blood is not only safe to use post-transit. The smart label also ensures a higher level of quality of the product is delivered by monitoring of temperature throughout transit.

Moreover, thanks to its irreversible feature, once the smart label has reacted to a temperature breach, this cannot be undone. For security reasons, the colour of the label’s indicator window stays permanently changed.

FDA approved … and more

Timestrip® Blood Temp 10 has FDA certification (FDA 510(k) #BK190363) and is manufactured with controls established by a IQC approved quality management system that conforms with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016.

With a temperature accuracy of +/- 0.5°C, this means that the Timestrip® label is designed with reliable and, more importantly, trustworthy technology as assessed by some of the world’s most stringent criteria. Moreover, extra security is assured by every Timestrip® label having its own unique serial number, thus ensuring full traceability.

Checking this list of features brings further benefits to healthcare providers involved in the transportation of whole blood by also ticking the box for local and internal regulatory compliance.

Cost savings

Because Timestrip® Blood Temp 10 ensures that only viable blood supplies are either administered post-transit, or returned to storage, the possibility of precautionary disposal is eliminated. This reduction in waste can have significant cost benefits.

In fact, studies have shown that loss rates without a Timestrip® are around 5%. These are halved with its use. In fact, reducing a loss rate by 9.9% pays for the total investment and a conservative 19.8% reduction doubles the ROI.

The generation of similar positive temperature monitoring outcomes are possible using other products, such as electronic devices. These, however, are far costlier.

Ease of use

Apart from delivering clear, unambiguous data as to whether post-transit a unit of whole blood may be used or returned to storage thanks its innovative indicator windows, the Timestrip® Blood Temp 10 is also remarkably easy to use.

In fact, unlike other whole blood temperature monitoring solutions on the market, Timestrip® Blood Temp 10 is a unique FDA 510(k) medical device that does not require preconditioning. Moreover, it is also CE approved and designed for:

Prior to the transit of a unit of whole blood, a simple squeeze of the label’s activation blister is all that is required for temperature monitoring of a unit of whole blood to begin. Then the label just needs to stuck on the unit.

Squeeze, peel and stick – that’s it!

And the end of transit, Timestrip® technology has also been designed for maximum ease of use:

• until activation, the first indicator window is yellow and the second is white

• upon activation, the first indicator window turns green

• if a temperature breach has occurred during transit, the duration of the breach is indicated by the second white indicator window that proportionately fills up with blue dye

Product Specifications

10°C/50°F monitoring

Irreversible, single use

19mm x 32mm

Field activation

Visual proof of temperature exposure

Advantages over electronic dataloggers

Beyond being less expensive, Timestrip® Blood Temp 10 does not involve a datalogger’s complicated and sometimes cumbersome unit return program that is necessary to make it more affordable. The smart label’s single use indicator makes it the ideal fit for simple, straightforward and effective temperature monitoring.

The Timestrip® also is a super convenient shape: small, flat, with no batteries or any other electronic components to them.

For green credentials, the Timestrip® also outstrips traditional dataloggers in terms of carbon footprint, because the latter eventually needs to be either be thrown away or sent back to source to justify the expenditure.

Lastly, the Timestrip® has the potential of generating more accurate safety data. Indeed, because a container of units of whole blood will tend to use just a single datalogger, inevitably the temperature of ambient air within the container is taken into account, potentially generating less than accurate safety data.

With Timestrip® labels however, every single unit has its own temperature indicator. This means that the possibility of rejecting an entire shipment based on a single result is eliminated.