Understanding the importance of compliance with the GMP/GDP requirements and the regulations in countries of operation on storing pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical raw materials, medical devices, animal health products, and other health products, Ekol puts its massive multi-user-operation facilities at the service of the healthcare industry in Turkey, Hungary, and Ukraine.

These facilities provide customized services for miscellaneous product groups including medicines for human use, OTC, cosmetics, dietary supplements, clinical trials, ocular health, promotional items, medical devices, and veterinary drugs.

Ekol manages partial- and full-load transportation operations for pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical raw materials, dietary supplements, medical supplies and devices, as well as animal health and other health products via validated, temperature-controlled or ambient vehicles designed according to the GDP guides.

Ekol understands the necessity of criteria such as vehicle location tracking and temperature monitoring to ensure product reliability and quality in the healthcare industry. Accordingly, all vehicles are tracked online 24/7.

By pinpointing its healthcare industry customers’ customs clearance needs, Ekol develops the best solutions for health products, thanks to its corporate know-how, customer-centric approach, and the offices and operation teams positioned in the customs offices.

Ekol processes customs clearance documents quickly with its software that supports communication with all databases.

Brought into service in 2018, our 215,000-square-meter Lotus facility, home to Turkey’s largest closed storage area, provides many integrated services including warehousing, export operations cross-dock area, customs clearance, and national delivery to our customers’ satisfaction. 

Showcasing many firsts in its design and technology, Lotus Facility is the largest warehouse in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region with a TAPA Certificate. The LEED-certified facility, which features earthquake resistance and a seismic shelf system, meets 70 percent of its electricity needs through renewable energy sources with the rooftop solar panels placed on a 40,000-square-meter area.

Positioning the bonded and non-bonded warehouses together makes it possible to transfer customs-cleared products to the healthcare industry’s non-bonded warehouse directly, which brings advantages in terms of cost and time while minimizing the risk of damage. Upon reaching the non-bonded warehouse, the products are stored in compliance with the relevant storage conditions and requirements and can be monitored by the customers.

In Lotus’ temperature-controlled zones reserved for various product groups, tailor-made value-added services are provided, including secondary packaging and İTS/ÜTS/ATS/PTS solutions. 

With a pioneering approach, Ekol put OSR (Automated Storage, Collection, and Packaging System) into operation in its Lotus facility to avoid human error in healthcare supply chains and maintain effective business continuity regardless of the conditions. As a result, we ensure;

• An enhanced collection and packaging performance;
• Reduced human error in collection and packaging (problems related to cross docking, delivering missing/excess products); 
• Less handling, ergo a lower damage rate;
• Leaner collection and packaging processes;
• Increased consolidation and loading capacity in shipment;
• Increased control and efficiency during busy periods;
• Product preservation in a temperature-controlled zone until the time of shipment once the shipment has been consolidated through OSR.

Click to view the Lotus Facility transportation map.

An industry-seasoned, facility-specific quality assurance team inspects and ensures the compliance of Ekol’s health industry services with the requirements of GMP/GDP and the regulations by the Turkish Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In the Lotus Facility, a pharmacist managing director, a representative veterinary surgeon, a pharmaceutical warehouse engagement director, and a quality assurance and control team are dedicated to health operations.

As part of its quality management systems, Ekol implements ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, ISO 10002, ISO 45001, GMP certificate, Production Site Permit, Representative Veterinary Surgeon Pharmaceutical Warehouse and Operating Permit-compliant quality assurance management, temperature and humidity tracking systems management, pest control management, validation processes (computerized system validation, equipment qualification, temperature-humidity validation, transfer validations), a web-based customer complaint tracking system, QDMS software (quality management system documentation), integrated facility management systems (smoke detectors and fire safety systems, emergency alarm systems, security systems) in its facilities. Taking advantage of its temperature-controlled special areas, Ekol provides cold-chain storage and shipping for the healthcare industry, organizes training for its personnel, and conducts internal audits, supplier audits, and periodical field inspections.