UPS expands healthcare commodities program

The shipping and logistics provider added 20 new member nations to its International Special Commodities program.    UPS has expanded the range of its International Special Commodities program, which handles dry ice shipping of biological substances and dangerous goods in excepted quantities, to 20 additional international destinations.
   The ICS program will now pick up and deliver packages under regulations UN3373 – Biologic Substances, Category B, Diagnostic Specimen and Clinical Specimen – and UN1845 – Carbon Dioxide, solid or dry ice – in Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Panama, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey and Ukraine.
   UN3373 and UN1845 are guidelines issued by the International Air Transport Association to regulate the safe transportation of goods using air transportation modes.
   The expansion, according to a statement from UPS, is a direct response to growing demand companies in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing, diagnostics, laboratory and distribution sectors.
   ICS will now be available in more than 50 countries.