Every GLP-1 pen is labeled for refrigeration, but each one has a room-temperature window that lets you leave the fridge for a weekend, a flight, or a power outage. The FDA labels on DailyMed spell out exact temperatures and day counts for Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, Mounjaro, and Saxenda. This card pulls those numbers into one table, then adds the TSA carry-on rules, a fridge-failure protocol, and red flags that mean a pen is no longer safe to inject.
Storage table (from the FDA label)
| Drug | Refrigerated (unused) | Room-temp (in-use) | Max heat exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy (semaglutide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) until expiration date on pen. | Up to 28 days at 46–86°F (8–30°C). Discard after 28 days regardless of doses remaining. | Do not expose above 86°F (30°C). Do not freeze. Discard if frozen. |
| Ozempic (semaglutide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) until expiration date on pen. | Up to 56 days at 59–86°F (15–30°C) after first use, refrigerated or at room temperature. Discard 56 days after first use. | Do not expose above 86°F (30°C). Do not freeze. Discard if frozen. |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) until expiration date on pen. | Up to 21 days at room temperature not above 86°F (30°C). Discard if stored at room temperature longer than 21 days. | Do not expose above 86°F (30°C). Do not freeze. Discard if frozen. |
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) until expiration date on pen. | Up to 21 days at room temperature not above 86°F (30°C). Discard if stored at room temperature longer than 21 days. | Do not expose above 86°F (30°C). Do not freeze. Discard if frozen. |
| Saxenda (liraglutide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) until expiration date on pen. | Up to 30 days at 59–86°F (15–30°C) or refrigerated after first use. Discard 30 days after first use. | Do not expose above 86°F (30°C). Do not freeze. Discard if frozen. |
One pattern across all five labels: the cold ceiling is 86°F (30°C), the freezer is never allowed, and every pen has a hard discard date that starts ticking the moment it leaves the fridge for good or gets the first dose drawn.
Travel and TSA — quick facts
- TSA allows injectable medications in carry-on with a prescription label on the original packaging. Declare the pen at screening; it does not count toward the 3.4-ounce liquid limit.
- Ice packs and gel coolers are allowed if fully frozen at the checkpoint. Slushy or melted packs have to meet the 3.4-ounce rule.
- Keep the pen in original packaging with the patient name on the pharmacy label. Loose unlabeled pens trigger secondary inspection.
- Do not check the pen in cargo. Airplane holds swing from -40°F at altitude to 100°F+ on the tarmac. Either extreme ruins a GLP-1 pen.
- Cooling cases are useful, not required. For trips under the in-use day count, a regular insulated pouch keeps the pen below 86°F. Frio-style evaporative cases are common for hot climates.
- International travel often needs a doctor’s note with medication, dose, and prescriber. Some customs lanes also ask for the original pharmacy printout.
Fridge-failure protocol
If the fridge dies during a power outage, the pen is salvageable as long as it never crossed 86°F (30°C) and never froze. An unused Wegovy or Zepbound pen that spent the outage at room temperature has burned through part of its 28-day or 21-day window and can be moved to a working fridge or a cooler with ice packs. An in-use Ozempic or Saxenda pen was already at room temperature, so the outage adds to the 56-day or 30-day total but does not reset it. If the room exceeded 86°F (hot car, heated attic, stalled HVAC), the label says discard. When in doubt, call the manufacturer support line on the carton.
Red flags — do not inject
- Cloudy solution. GLP-1 pens should be clear and colorless. Cloudiness is a degradation sign.
- Yellow, brown, or pink discoloration. Any color change means the solution is no longer the original formulation.
- Visible particles or floaters. Particulate matter indicates protein aggregation or contamination.
- Frozen pen. Discard even after thawing. The label is explicit on every GLP-1: do not use if the pen has been frozen.
- Heat exposure above 86°F (30°C). A car dashboard, a hot mailbox, or a beach bag can ruin a pen in under an hour.
- Past the in-use discard date. 28 days for Wegovy, 56 days for Ozempic, 21 days for Zepbound or Mounjaro, 30 days for Saxenda — even with doses left.
What this cheat sheet does not cover
This card is for FDA-approved branded pens only. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide vials from a 503A or 503B pharmacy follow the beyond-use dating the compounding pharmacist assigns — ask the dispensing pharmacy for written storage limits. Syringes drawn from compounded multi-dose vials are not addressed here either; the draw-and-store window is set by the pharmacy. Dose calibration after a temperature excursion has not been studied; the label position is discard, not recalibrate.
Related on Weight Loss Rankings
- All cheat sheets — the full one-page reference library.
- GLP-1 Sick-Day Guide — when to hold a dose during flu, surgery, or dehydration.
- Wegovy Dose Ladder Cheat Sheet — the titration schedule the in-use 28-day count maps onto.
- GLP-1 Side-Effect Timeline — what to expect at each dose step from week 1 through maintenance.
Sources
- DailyMed. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection prescribing information. SetID ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b. Storage section: refrigerate 2–8°C, up to 28 days at 8–30°C in-use, do not freeze.
- DailyMed. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection prescribing information. SetID adec4fd2-6858-4c99-91d4-531f5f2a2d79. Storage section: refrigerate 2–8°C unused, 56-day in-use limit at 15–30°C, do not freeze.
- DailyMed. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection prescribing information. SetID 487cd7e7-434c-4925-99fa-aa80b1cc776b. Storage section: refrigerate 2–8°C, up to 21 days at room temperature not above 30°C, do not freeze.
- DailyMed. MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection prescribing information. SetID d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0. Storage section: refrigerate 2–8°C, up to 21 days at room temperature not above 30°C, do not freeze.
- Transportation Security Administration. Medications: passengers may bring medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols in excess of 3.4 ounces in carry-on. Frozen accessories permitted if fully frozen at screening.