Mounjaro Storage: How To Safely Store & Travel With Mounjaro
All medications have specific storage requirements to ensure they remain effective and safe. Weight loss medications such as Mounjaro need to be kept in the refrigerator. If Mounjaro storage conditions are above 30℃ or not used within 21 days, the medication becomes ineffective and unsafe to use.
Once you have fulfilled your prescription, it’s important to follow the Mounjaro storage instructions provided by your pharmacist or doctor.
This article details how to store your used and unused Mounjaro KwikPens and how to store them at home and when travelling.
Why proper Mounjaro storage matters
All medications have specific storage requirements that ensure their safety and efficacy for as long as possible. Some medications can stay safe at room temperature until their expiration date, while other medications need to be kept in the fridge. One such medication is Mounjaro.
Mounjaro is a prescription weight loss medication that comes as a liquid solution in single-dose prefilled pens called KwikPens. Normally, Mounjaro's storage temperature is 2°C to 8°C (refrigerated) once the KwikPen has been opened, but unopened Mounjaro KwikPen storage may extend to room temperature for up to 21 days.
If Mounjaro KwikPens are appropriately stored in the refrigerator, the medication is safe to use up to the expiration date. Expired Mounjaro KwikPens are considered safe or effective for use and should be safely disposed of.
Recommended Mounjaro storage conditions
The recommended long-term place to store unused KwikPens is in the refrigerator (between 2℃ to 8℃) in their original packaging until the pen expires. Remember that some fridges have colder parts, such as near the cooling element. It is also not recommended to place your Mounjaro in the fridge door as the temperature fluctuates whenever you open or close the fridge.
Do not place your pen in the freezer or leave it in a place where it could freeze. If you find that your KwikPen has frozen or suspect it has frozen, do not use it. Even if the liquid inside the pen has thawed out after being frozen, the medication is not safe to use.
Mounjaro KwikPen storage can also be outside the fridge at room temperature (up to 30℃) for no longer than 21 days. If your KwikPen is left outside the fridge by accident, the 21-day timeframe applies even if you put the pen back in the fridge.
Also, avoid keeping your KwikPens in the bathroom or medicine cabinet in the bathroom, as hot steam may cause condensation in the pens.
If Mounjaro is stored at room temperature for longer than 21 days, you should not use it. Instead, you should properly dispose of the perns. If the manufacturer's expiration date is sooner than the 21-day timeframe, dispose of the pen based on this expiration date.
Keep Mounjaro in the original box until you take it out for your dose
Wherever you choose to store your Mounjaro, it is important to store it in its original box until you need to take out the KwikPen to administer a dose. Mounjaro packaging is specifically designed to protect the medication from artificial light and sunlight.
This is because Mounjaro is a light-sensitive medication. Excessive exposure to light can break down the medication, making it less effective and unsafe to use.
Your Mounjaro KwikPens come in a box of four. We recommend only removing one pen at a time when preparing your pen for an injection. Leave the unused pens inside the box.
Ensure that you keep the pen and needles out of reach and sight of children.
How to keep Mounjaro cold when travelling
When travelling, it is important to keep Mounjaro storage requirements in mind.
If you are travelling by car
If you are travelling on the road, consider storing your Mounjaro KwikPens in an insulated bag or a cooler box. If you use an insulated bag or cooler box, avoid placing the KwikPens directly on ice packs.
To avoid excess heat, it is best to keep your KwikPens in the main interior of your car (not in the trunk). If you make long stops during your road trip, bring your insulated bag (with KwikPens inside) with you. Leaving the pens in the car may expose them to extreme temperatures.
If you are travelling by plane
If you are flying, it is best to pack your Mounjaro in an insulated bag (similar to those used to transport insulin) as a carry-on. Avoid placing your KwikPens in checked luggage, as they may be exposed to air pressure changes and extreme temperatures, which would damage the medication.
If you are travelling within the UK, a 100ml individual item liquid measurement is allowed for hand luggage. Here are some extra steps to take your Mounjaro KwikPens with you through security checkpoints:
- Ensure the pharmacy label is on your Mounjaro box.
- Separate your liquid medications and medical supplies (needles, swabs, etc.) from the rest of your carry-on luggage.
- Inform airport security staff that you have liquid medications and medical supplies before screening begins.
How to store a used Mounjaro KwikPen
After using your Mounjaro KwikPen for the first time, you can store it at room temperature up to 30℃ or put it back in the fridge. Ensure the KwikPen is placed back into the original manufacturer box.
Keep the pen away from heat sources such as the sun, stove, oven, etc. Excessive heat can damage the medication inside the KwikPen, making it less effective and unsafe for use.
Throw away your KwikPen 30 days after first using it, or dispose of the pen after using the four weekly doses. If your KwikPen has been left at room temperature for longer than 21 days, you should not use it. Instead, you need to dispose of the used or unused pens properly. If the manufacturer's expiration date is sooner than the 21-day room temperature or 30-day refrigeration timeframe, do not use the pen. You should dispose of it.
Safe disposal of your Mounjaro KwikPen
Once you have finished your Kwikpen, or if it has expired or has been stored incorrectly, you need to dispose of the pen safely. The needles need to go in a sharps bin as needles in household or general public waste pose a risk to contractors or others (needlestick injuries).
If you need a sharps bin or more information about responsibly disposing of your needles, please contact us.
As sharp bins are classified as clinical waste, they require special arrangements to be collected and disposed of. To see if your council will collect your sharps bin, you can check your postcode here (UK and Wales only).
You can then throw away your used KwikPen (without the needle) in your household waste or the sharps container. The Mounjaro KwikPen is not recyclable. If the pen still has medication in it, ask your healthcare provider or Cloud Pharmacy pharmacist how to dispose of it safely.
Ensure that you keep the pen and needles out of reach and sight of children.
What to do if Mounjaro is stored incorrectly
If your Mounjaro KwikPens have been exposed to high temperatures, do not use them, as heat can break down the medication and make it less effective.
Contact Cloud Pharmacy if you accidentally left your KwikPen in a hot environment or the medication may have frozen. Our pharmacists will advise you on how to dispose of the KwikPen safely.
Final thoughts
All medications have storage requirements, and it is important to follow them, even when travelling, to ensure your medication remains safe and effective.
You can purchase Mounjaro from Cloud Pharmacy in the UK with a prescription. Your medication will be sent to your UK address after you complete a quick online health consultation. Once you have been approved for this weight loss treatment by a registered pharmacist, it is safely and securely delivered to you.
Click here to book a consultation with Cloud Pharmacy.
FAQs
Does Mounjaro need to be refrigerated in the UK?
Mounjaro should be kept in a refrigerator. Keeping Mounjaro in the fridge at (2°C to 8°C) in its original box is recommended. Avoid putting your KwikPens in the fridge door or near the cooling element.
However, if needed, you can store Mounjaro at room temperature for a short period (21 days).
Sources & method
- https://www.cloudpharmacy.co.uk/online-doctor/weight-loss-treatments/
- https://www.cloudpharmacy.co.uk/online-doctor/weight-loss-treatments/mounjaro-weight-loss-injection/
- https://www.cloudpharmacy.co.uk/guides/how-to-use-mounjaro-kwikpen/
- https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/usermanual.15481.pdf
- https://medical.lilly.com/uk/products/answers/how-should-patients-store-the-mounjaro-tirzepatide-kwikpen-during-transport-and-travel-217602
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00185787221133804?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.1
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyerpeer7zgo
- https://medical.lilly.com/uk/products/answers/how-should-patients-store-the-mounjaro-tirzepatide-kwikpen-during-transport-and-travel-217602
- https://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/needlesticks/
- https://www.cloudpharmacy.co.uk/contact/
- https://www.gov.uk/request-clinical-waste-collection
- https://www.cloudpharmacy.co.uk/guides/mounjaro-reviews/
