A Practical Guide to Store and Transport Insulin
Insulin, from the pharmacy to your fridge: guidance
The effectiveness of treatments is closely linked to the way in which they are stored. This is especially the case for insulin which must be stored within a specific temperature range, between +2 and +8°C.
From release at the pharmacy to your return home, here is some practical advice on how to transport and store your insulin properly:
- Ask your pharmacist to provide you with a cooling pouch to keep your insulin cold until you get home.
- During its transportation, do not expose the medicine to the sun or heat.
- It is absolutely essential to put the insulin back in the fridge as quickly as possible. Keep your journey to a minimum and put the medicine in your refrigerator as quickly as possible on your return home.
- Store the insulin in the middle of the refrigerator, never in the vegetable compartment or in the door (these sections of the refrigerator are not as cold).
- Never put the insulin in the ice compartment, or the freezer (the temperature there is below that of the fridge).
- Make sure that your treatment is not in contact with the walls of the refrigerator or any food present.
- Ensure that the temperature of your refrigerator in the place where you store your insulin is between +2 and +8°C.
Insulin: a treatment to be handled with care
Heat-sensitive medicines such as insulin are extremely sensitive to any variations in temperature, hot or cold. They must never be exposed to a temperature greater than +8°C or less than +2°C, as they can become inactive, or worse, in the event of significant and/or prolonged exposure, toxic.
Considering the low quantity of product that the insulin pens contain, their increase in temperature is extremely fast. They need no more than 3 minutes exposed to an average room temperature of +20°C to reach +8°C.
Be sure to properly protect your treatment, your health depends on it!
For more security, there are custom-made insulated solutions for the transportation of insulin from the pharmacy to your house, for example. Our patented insulated pouches store the insulin for up to 1 hour, without risk of freezing the product. Ask your pharmacist!