Video surveillance in the biopharmaceutical business. Top five goals

Biopharmaceutical production in 2021 will continue to face the problem of industrial espionage and cyber attacks. The need to reduce staff, restructure and save money remains a catalyst for this situation. However, these circumstances force pharmaceutical companies to modernize security systems, including expanding the scope of cloud video surveillance systems. 

Pharmaceutics protection with video surveillance

The pharmaceutical business is subject to stringent requirements, both in terms of product quality and safety in the workplace. The location of production determines compliance with national and interstate standards. For example, in Europe, there is GMP production practice, and the FDA CFR 21 is in the USA; in our country, it is GOST R (No52249-2009).

Also, in recent years the pharmaceutical business has focused on clinical research. This necessitates significant investments in science funding and, as a result, an increased need to protect the information and products of industrial espionage and hacking attacks. You can’t do without intelligent video analytics.

5 major objectives

Whether it’s video surveillance in a pharmacy or pharmaceutical production, video surveillance can solve several problems, namely:

• ensures the safety of the enterprise;
• helps to increase productivity;
• monitors and records the quality of production processes and clinical experiments;
• participates in the supply chain, ensuring the right conditions;
• allows you to enter the digital health system.

Security decisions

When it comes to protecting the biopharmaceutical industry, it is essential to consider two levels of security that it needs: physical and virtual security.

The first case involves the protection of equipment, production and storage facilities, as well as the safety of inventory (experimental drugs, formulas, secret patents and millions of dollars worth of medicines).  At the physical security level, high-tech IP cameras with sensors, thermal imaging, biometrics and integration with ASC and OPS systems are required.

Also, you can not do without intelligent video analytics, which can automatically record the number of visitors, identify vehicles, faces and emotions, and quickly notify the operator of the event.   

In the second case, corporate information security, including classified information and the surveillance cameras themselves, is required.  According to Deloitte reports, the pharmaceutical industry is a prime target for cybercriminals. The frequency of hacker attacks in 2020 has increased.

What you need to improve cybersecurity:

• use secure passwords on all internet-access devices;
• have reliable security and communication control points;
• delimitate access;
• do testing;
• keep data encrypted;
• train users and employees.

Productivity improvement

The biopharmaceutical factory is usually as automated as possible. However, this does not mean that there is no need for video monitoring of work processes and compliance with regulations.

The scope of video surveillance influence on pharmaceutical production:

• maintains work discipline (compliance with dress code, availability in the workplace, monitoring the time of arrival/departure, tracking movements);
• motivates employees’ work activity;
• counts workers;
• complies with manufacturing and safety equipment;
• solves disputes and events;
• saves and optimizes the work of the company as a whole.

Production processes and experiments monitoring

Non-compliance with safety and disruption of technological processes is unacceptable in the pharmaceutical industry. It is advisable to use video cameras:

• with high and ultra-precision resolution (1920-1080; 2592-1520 MP);
• with a wide-angle view (for video monitoring of the overall situation in the shop);
• with a fixed lens (2.8 mm);
• with a changing focal length (2.8-12 mm) to detail the processes.

Network cameras are capable of providing high video streaming speeds and synchronized operation of all system controllers.  At the same time, simultaneous notifications from different elements of the security system are sent to operators for analysis and comparison with programmed actions.

Comprehensive supply management

Pharmaceutical delivery chains from production to final destination must also be protected:

• to ensure quality;
• to comply with the conditions of safe handling of drugs;
• from the interference of outsiders in the delivery process.

The solution can be a real-time integration of location devices and intelligent video surveillance. This method also simplifies the documentation process, and video analysis can be used to manage supplies.

Digital health care

Why do pharmaceutical companies want digital health care? 

The goal is to increase the added value of products, from scientific discovery, clinical experiments to the final product’s sale. At the same time, digitalization provides answers to essential questions in consumption and sales. As a result, pharmaceutical companies get better results and lower production and marketing costs.

Video surveillance gives you complete control over every link in the value chain.  

Conclusion

Surveillance can be the guardian of the interests of pharmaceuticals. It can protect production, products and information. It is ready to analyze vast layers of databases on neural networks and give a qualitative result.  It can reduce production and security costs and increase net profit.