How Long Can Refrigerated Medicines Be Left Out Before They Lose Effectiveness?

Quick Answer: Most refrigerated medicines can be left out for a few hours to several weeks, depending on the drug. Some, like vaccines, are highly sensitive and must be used immediately, while others, like insulin, remain stable for about a month at room temperature. Always check specific storage instructions.

Storing your medicines properly is key to their efficacy and the success of your treatment. While most drugs can simply be stored in a cool, dry place, some medications are heat sensitive and require refrigeration.

The list of refrigerated medicines is quite extensive. It includes different types of drugs and biological products such as insulin, growth hormones, eye drops, vaccines, some antibiotics, rheumatoid arthritis injections, and numerous other biologic drugs.

While most of these drugs allow for some flexibility and may be unrefrigerated for up to several weeks, others are extremely unstable and quickly deteriorate when out of the fridge. Therefore, knowing how long your refrigerated medicine can be left out is essential to guarantee its effectiveness.

Why do some medicines need to be refrigerated?

Most medicines that need to be refrigerated belong to the class of biological drugs. At the cutting edge of biomedical research, biological drugs, also called biologics or biopharmaceuticals, are produced with biological sources using a living system such as an animal cell, a plant cell, or a microorganism.

Unlike chemically synthesized drugs made with smaller molecules, biologics tend to be unstable products, heat-sensitive, and susceptible to microbial contamination. Therefore, storing them in the refrigerator allows for greater stability and prolonged effectiveness and lowers the risks of degrading or getting contaminated.

Most but not all refrigerated medicines are administered via injection or infusion. Here are some of the most common examples:

• Insulin (diabetes injection)
• Ozempic and other type 2 diabetes injections like Trulicity or Victoza
• Mounjaro for diabetes and weight loss
• Saxenda and Wegovy for weight loss
• Latanoprost and other glaucoma eye drops
• Humira and other injections used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, like Enbrel, Cimzia, Actemra, Orencia, or Simponi
• Human growth hormones like Genotropin, Norditropin, Humatrope, and others
• Aimovig, Emgality, or Ajovy injections used for severe chronic migraines
• Some asthma injections like Dupixent, Xolair, Fasenra, or Nucala
• Tymlos and Forteo injections for osteoporosis
• Kesimpta, Copaxone, and Avonex for multiple sclerosis
• Trimix and Caverject for erectile dysfunction
• Repatha and Praluent injections for high cholesterol
• Strensiq for hypophosphatasia
• Vaccines
• Some antibiotics
• Some tablets and capsules used for chemotherapy and antiretroviral treatment, like Leukeran or Melphalan
• Some pharmaceutical creams and gels
• Others

Related article: A list of medicines that require refrigeration.

What happens if you don't refrigerate medicines?

The main risk of not refrigerating these medicines is that they can lose their potency, either partially or completely. Bacterial contamination is a rare scenario, but it can happen as well.

Refrigerated medicines are highly sensitive to heat. Their molecules can start degrading very quickly if they are not stored under the right conditions, including proper temperature and protection from light exposure.

Using a medicine that has been left out of the fridge for too long can disrupt your treatment. You might not immediately notice a loss of potency, but you could be receiving:

• Only a partial dose, or

• No effective dose at all,

which can be dangerous for your health.

✅ To protect the effectiveness of your refrigerated medicines:

• Always store them in the refrigerator.

• Ensure your fridge maintains the correct temperature.

As a rule of thumb, medicines that require refrigeration should be kept between 36°F and 46°F (2°C and 8°C). However, always double-check the storage instructions for each specific medicine, as requirements can vary. Ideally, your fridge's temperature should stay as stable as possible to prevent fluctuations that could affect your medication.

Related article: At what temperature should you keep refrigerated drugs?

How long can refrigerated medicines stay out of the fridge?

How long refrigerated medicines can be left out depends on each specific drug. Unfortunately, there are no catch-all answers, so make sure you read the storage instructions carefully.

It also depends on the ambient temperature at which it is exposed, as well as other storage conditions such as exposure to light, humidity, and others. Let's take a few examples.

Leaving your medicines unrefrigerated

Some drugs are extremely unstable when unrefrigerated, while others can easily stay out for weeks or even months.

Very heat-sensitive drugs must be used almost immediately:

• Some vaccines must be injected immediately after being removed from the fridge.

• Genotropin (human growth hormone) becomes very unstable once reconstituted and must either be injected immediately or kept refrigerated for 24 hours.

• Orencia and Actemra, injectable medicines for rheumatoid arthritis, can only stay unrefrigerated for 8 hours.

Other medicines are more flexible and can stay unrefrigerated for several days:

• Aimovig (migraine preventive) can be left out for up to 7 days at room temperature.

• Dupixent (for severe asthma) can be unrefrigerated for up to 14 days.

• Trulicity (for type 2 diabetes) can stay at room temperature for up to 14 days, just like Humira and Enbrel (both used to treat rheumatoid arthritis).

The least heat-sensitive medicines can remain stable for weeks or months:

• Most insulins stay fully active at room temperature for about a month.

• Ozempic (anti-diabetic injection) can remain unrefrigerated for 56 days.

• Latanoprost (glaucoma eye drops) can be left out for six weeks.

How long refrigerated medicines can be left out depends on each specific drug. Unfortunately, there are no catch-all answers, so make sure you read the storage instructions carefully.

It also depends on the ambient temperature at which it is exposed, as well as other storage conditions such as exposure to light, humidity, and others. Let's take a few examples.

Related article: How to Travel with Refrigerated Medication?

What is room temperature?

Although some refrigerated medicines can be left out for a few days, weeks, or months, it does not free you from being careful about their storage conditions. As a rule of thumb, they should never be exposed to temperatures above 77°F (25°C) or 86°F (30°C) for the most resistant ones.

Most biologics are also sensitive to light or humidity, so again, always double-check the storage instructions for each specific medicine.

4AllFamily designs portable refrigeration solutions for people using refrigerated drugs. Browse through our catalog of medical-grade travel coolers or reach out so we can help you out!

📌 Key Takeaways:

• ❄️ Some medicines must be refrigerated because they're heat-sensitive biological drugs like insulin, vaccines, and arthritis injections.

• 🕐 How long refrigerated medicines can be left out depends on the specific drug-ranging from a few hours to several weeks.

• ⚡ Loss of potency is the main risk when medicines are not stored properly, which can disrupt treatments and health outcomes.

• 🌡️ Room temperature limits matter: most refrigerated drugs shouldn't be exposed to temperatures above 77°F (25°C) to 86°F (30°C).

• 📋 Always check the specific storage instructions for each medicine to avoid dangerous mistakes.

💬 We'd Love to Hear From You!

Have questions about storing your refrigerated medicines? Or personal tips for keeping them safe while traveling? Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below - we're here to help and would love to hear from you!

📆 Article Update History:

✅ Updated: April 27, 2025

Originally Published: January 24, 2023