TS 11855

TS 11855 is a service standard dealing with the general rules for pharmacy depots and representative pharmacy depots. It frames the wholesale handling of a broad pharmaceutical and health-product portfolio, from medicinal pharmaceutical products and immunological preparations to blood products, starting materials used in magistral and officinal preparation, and other related items stored or distributed through depot channels.

What a pharmacy depot means in practice

In general technical terms, a pharmacy depot is part of the distribution chain rather than a retail pharmacy. Its role is to store, preserve, and dispatch regulated healthcare products under suitable conditions, often to professional customers and downstream healthcare channels. Key concepts in this environment include storage conditions, hygiene, package integrity, traceability, and separation of different product classes. A representative pharmacy depot typically operates on behalf of a manufacturer or represented company and supports the market distribution path for those products.

Product groups addressed by the standard

• Medicinal pharmaceutical products used in human, veterinary, and agricultural medical practice
• Immunological preparations and blood products
• Starting substances and materials used in magistral and officinal medicine production
• Cosmetics, cosmoceuticals, sanitary-hygienic substances and materials, and diagnostic products
• Herbal medicines prepared in pharmaceutical forms, similar preparations, and medicinal foods for special purposes

The standard’s value lies in bringing these different product families under a common wholesale framework. Because their purpose, storage needs, and distribution sensitivities may differ, the distinction between product classes matters in depot operations. TS 11855 therefore addresses the general organisational setting for facilities that hold and supply these items in wholesale form, rather than focusing on a single product type.