A pharmaceutical warehouse in Almaty is not simply a heated room with the right temperature. Since 2017, the GDP (Good Distribution Practice) standard has been mandatory for all participants in Kazakhstan's pharmaceutical market. Violations of the requirements mean licence revocation and criminal liability in the event of harm to public health. Let's look at what the building must physically contain and what it costs in Almaty.
since 2017
GDP standard mandatory in Kazakhstan
for all pharmaceutical market participants — manufacturers, distributors, pharmacy chains, pharma 3PL operators
+2…+8°C
cold chain for vaccines and biologics
insulin, vaccines, biological medicines — unbroken temperature monitoring from manufacturer to patient
+15…+25°C
standard storage conditions for medicines
most tablets, capsules, syrups — but without direct sunlight and humidity above 60%
24/7
temperature and humidity monitoring
automated system with GSM alerts — a GDP requirement, not an option
Why GDP is a construction requirement, not just a process requirement
GDP is often perceived as "a set of documents and SOPs." In reality, the standard sets direct requirements for the physical infrastructure of the warehouse:
- Dedicated zones with controlled temperatures (different ranges)
- Wall and roof insulation sufficient to maintain the required conditions
- Air conditioning systems with redundancy
- Emergency power supplies (generators)
- Humidity control (maximum 60% for most medicines)
- Protection from direct sunlight
- Separate zones for "quarantine," returns, and rejected goods
- Documentation of all movements and storage conditions
Pharmaceutical warehouse zoning
The GDP standard requires physical separation of the following zones:
| Zone | Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Separate from main storage | Document verification, inspection, quarantine |
| Quarantine | Isolated (key/SCUD access) | Goods pending release from quarantine |
| Main storage | +15…+25°C | Most medicinal products |
| Cold storage | +2…+8°C (refrigerated chambers) | Vaccines, insulin, biologics |
| Cool storage | +8…+15°C | Some medicines with intermediate requirements |
| Returns zone | Isolated | Returns from pharmacies — separate from active stock |
| Rejected/recalled goods zone | Isolated + locked | Defective, recalled products |
| Dispatch | Weather protection | Loading dock with dock levellers |
Mixing zones = GDP violation
Building requirements: technical solutions
Temperature regime: +15…+25°C (main storage)
To maintain standard storage conditions in Almaty — the climate is demanding: summer up to +38°C, winter down to −25°C. This requires:
- Air conditioning with cooling: at least 20 kW per 1,000 m²
- Heating: gas or electric
- Wall insulation: 100 mm sandwich panels minimum, 150 mm recommended
- Backup power (generator): in the event of a power outage, temperature must not leave the acceptable range within 4 hours
Cold chain: +2…+8°C
For vaccines and biologics in Almaty, the following are required:
- Refrigerated chambers with 150–200 mm PIR panels
- Redundant refrigeration units (primary + standby)
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) — minimum 4 hours of autonomy
- Temperature loggers with GSM alerts in each chamber
- Automatic temperature deviation log
Humidity
Most medicines require humidity no higher than 60%. In Almaty, summer humidity can reach 50–70% — without dehumidification, product damage is possible. A supply and exhaust ventilation system with a dehumidifier is required.
Electrical supply requirements
A pharmaceutical warehouse in Almaty must have:
| System | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Main supply | Reliable line with two incoming feeds (where possible) |
| UPS | Minimum 4 hours for cold chambers |
| Diesel generator | For the entire warehouse during prolonged outages |
| Sockets | Every 8–10 m (for charging scanners, temperature loggers) |
| Temperature monitoring system | Separate power circuit with backup |
Typical electrical capacity of a 500 m² pharmaceutical warehouse: 150–250 kW (compared with 50–100 kW for an ordinary warehouse of the same area).
Documentation and access control (SCUD)
GDP requires full traceability: who moved what and when. This is achieved through:
- SCUD (access control and management system) with entry/exit logging
- CCTV with footage stored for at least 90 days
- Barcoding or RFID for each product batch
- WMS with documentation of all operations
Construction cost of a pharmaceutical warehouse in Almaty
| Type of facility | Area | Construction cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard conditions (+15…+25°C) | 300 m² | 40–60 million ₸ |
| Warehouse + cold zone | 500 m² | 90–130 million ₸ |
| Fully functional GDP warehouse (all zones) | 1,000 m² | 180–280 million ₸ |
| Class A GDP (cold chain + UPS + generator) | 2,000 m² | 400–600 million ₸ |
Includes steel frame with seismic reinforcement, sandwich panels, air conditioning with redundancy, refrigerated chambers, UPS, generator, SCUD, CCTV, temperature loggers. Land not included.
Example of an implemented project in Kazakhstan
A pharmaceutical warehouse complex Class A to GDP standard has been built and put into operation in Kazakhstan. The complex provides the full range of storage conditions — from standard to cold — and includes all zones required by the standard. This confirms: designing Class A pharma warehouses in Kazakhstan is possible and has already been done.
Not GDP, but GSP — if you simply want to store correctly
We will design a pharmaceutical warehouse in Almaty to the GDP standard
StroyHub designs facilities accounting for Ministry of Health RK requirements and GDP — from zoning to redundant engineering systems.