Keeping your tirzepatide pen refrigerated - storage safety
For the majority of medicines, you’re able to store them in your kitchen cupboard; out of reach from any children’s curious hands, cool, dry and forgotten until you have need of them. But for medicines like tirzepatide, it isn’t as simple as storing your paracetamol or supplements.
Weight loss treatments, like Mounjaro (tirzepatide), don't come cheap. That’s why it’s so important you know how to store it correctly to prevent you from wasting your precious pen.
In this guide we’ll tell you how to store your Mounjaro pen, how to tell if your pen is safe for use, and what to do if your pen gets warm during shipping.
How to store tirzepatide pen
Firstly, you should keep tirzepatide weight loss injections refrigerated. To keep your Mounjaro pen in good condition, store it in its original packaging to shield it from the light. Avoid freezing the pen, as this can harm it.
Since the pen has delicate glass parts, handle it carefully, especially after a drop on a hard surface. In such cases, use a new pen for injections.
Be mindful of varying temperatures in your fridge, and always check the pen to ensure it hasn't frozen before using it. To avoid this, it’s recommended that you store your pen in the door, rather than at the back of the fridge.
This simple routine helps to maintain the pen's effectiveness and ensures safe administration.
The best storage temperature
We’ve made it clear that you should keep Mounjaro refrigerated, but what’s the best storage temperature for your pen?
Make sure you keep the temperature in your fridge between 2 and 8°C. If you store your pen in a fridge that’s cooler than 2°C, there’s a risk that the medicine could freeze, which would make the pen unusable.
Going on holiday? Don’t worry! Mounjaro can be stored at room temperature for up to 21 days. Just make sure the temperature doesn’t rise above 30°C, and you keep your pen in its original packaging to protect it from the light.
However, if you’re flying, it’s a good idea to pack it in your carry-on, since the baggage hold on the plane can plummet to below-freezing temperatures.
How long does tirzepatide last in the fridge?
How long tirzepatide lasts in the fridge depends on the expiration date on the pen. Should your pen expire before you’ve had a chance to use it, you should speak to your prescriber for advice.
To prevent this from happening, you should only order what you need. For Mounjaro, it’s 1 pen per month, which you will inject once per week.
Do not use the pen if it’s expired, and make sure you safely discard your pen and needle into a sharps bin to prevent harm to either yourself or others, in addition to avoiding cross-contamination.
Thankfully, if your pen has been unopened and kept refrigerated, it can last for up to 2 years, but it does depend on what the expiry date was on the stock the manufacturer supplied at the time you obtained your pen.
How to tell whether your pen is safe to use
You should always check the contents of your pen before you inject it to ensure that it's safe for use.
Inspect the pen to make sure it's not damaged, and the medication is clear without particles or cloudiness. Confirm that it's not frozen, and the colour ranges from colourless to slightly yellow. Check the expiration date to ensure it hasn't passed.
Has your pen been stored unrefrigerated for over 21 days? If so, your pen isn’t suitable for use. If you’re unsure whether your pen is safe to use, always speak to your prescriber for advice before you decide to inject.
What to do if your pen gets warm during shipping
Before you get your pen, it's stored in a fridge at your pharmacy and kept at the right temperature. The delivery process maintains this temperature by using special packaging to stop your pen from getting too warm during shipping.
We know how important your weight loss treatment is to you, so we take every precaution to ensure your pen reaches you in excellent condition. Being ready to receive your delivery prevents delays and keeps your weight-loss pen from being out of the fridge for too long.
With Chemist4U, we use Royal Mail 24 for temperature-controlled items, ensuring delivery in 1-3 days. Our customer service team will call to confirm your availability for collection.
It's essential to follow the guidelines for storing your tirzepatide pen to ensure its effectiveness and your safety. Checking for damage, any signs of freezing and confirming that it isn't expired is crucial.
Interested in Mounjaro to aid your weight loss journey? Simply complete a quick consultation in our online clinic and one of our prescribing pharmacists will decide if a weight loss treatment is the right option for you.
Once you’re both happy, we’ll deliver your chosen treatment discreetly to your door.
