5 Tips for Buying the Best Pharmacy Refrigerator

As a pharmacy, ensuring your facility’s products and supplies stay in the best condition for your clients is your number one priority. That’s why it is critical to have the right pharmacy refrigerator.

By keeping your medications, medical supplies, and vaccinations at the right temperature, you’ll protect your customers and ensure that they can receive the proper medical care when they need it. Here are five tips to help you choose the right pharmacy refrigerator for your facility.

Consider The Purpose

Most purpose-built units fall into five categories: 

• Pharmaceutical Supplies
• Blood Bank
• Laboratory
• Chromatography
• Vaccine Storage

Knowing the purpose of your fridge will determine the features you will want to look for. Some facilities might prefer a unit with a clear door for easy identification and inventory checking. For more sensitive products and supplies, you might also prefer a refrigerator with a lock to limit access to certain staff members. Other more accessible features include an external temperature display, a temperature alarm, and more.

Determine the Proper Size for Your Pharmacy

A medical refrigerator should complement your storage needs. In conjunction with the first tip, you should know the purpose of your pharmacy refrigerator so you can estimate how many medical supplies you'll need to store in your unit. Other important characteristics to consider are the size of your facility, type of offerings, and busiest time of the year in which you’ll need the most storage.

Four main medical fridge types are:

• Large capacity. These spacious, freestanding units reach upwards of 50 cubic feet (1.42 cubic meters) of space or more. Typical uses would be a large number of biological supplies such as annual vaccine supplies for flu season. 
• Countertop models. These compact models are great for offices with limited space or a lab. Just plugin, and they are ready to go.
• Under-counter models. These smaller-scale appliances optimize space in any setting. With quality design and special installation, these zero-clearance refrigerators can fit in various enclosed areas beneath desks or tabletops. 
• Flammable/ Explosion-proof models.  Explosion-proof refrigerators have features to prevent fires, explosions, and hazards. They also shield biologics from hazardous conditions.

Models that are too small can cause overcrowding and poor airflow within your medical refrigerator.  However, models that are too large for your supplies can also affect internal temperatures or time up too much valuable space for other supplies. With careful consideration, you’ll find the right size for your facility.

Check for Compliance

Make sure your new refrigerator is pharmacy-grade rather than a domestic product. While most pharmacy refrigerators generally are, you should also check that the model is ADA-, OSHA-, and NFPA-compliant. 

Ensuring compliance guarantees industry-standard quality and increased safety for your clients and employees. At KingsBottle, we help guide you through the buying process so you know you’re always getting a quality product.

Don’t Cut Corners on Costs

Don't skimp when buying a refrigerator for your facility. Budget enough money to buy units with the right features and functionality. Investing in the right medical refrigerators will save you time and money and minimize the need to repurchase replacement medications or purchase duplicate vials of vaccines due to fridge malfunction.

Analysts predict American hospitals lose $20 million and 35 percent of vaccines annually due to temperature excursion events in faulty medical refrigerators. Making sure you get the best appliances for your facility will save you a lot in the long run.

Buy From a Reliable and Trusted Vendor

This tip goes with everything you buy. A quality vendor will provide you with a quality refrigerator. Look for a vendor with a wide variety of products, industry experience, and plenty of information on their website. Specialized expertise in pharmacy and medical-grade refrigeration increases your confidence in the vendor, their installation, and the end-product.

KingsBottle: The Best Source for Your Pharmacy Refrigeration Needs

Whether you are buying a pharmacy or medical refrigerator, KingsBottle has all the options you need. With pharmacy fridge and freezer prices to fit your budget and the correct sizes for any facility, we have your pharmaceutical or medical lab refrigerator ready.