What Does ‘Store Below 25°C’ Mean for Medication?
If you take regular medication, you may have seen the instruction “Store below 25°C” on the packaging or patient information leaflet.
But what does storing medication below 25°C actually mean?
Does your medicine need to go in the fridge? What happens if you leave it in a hot car or carry it in your bag on a warm day? And how can you keep temperature-sensitive medication cool when travelling?
Here’s what you need to know.
Why Does Medication Need to Be Stored Below 25°C?
Medicines are tested to establish the conditions in which they can be stored throughout their shelf life. Temperature can be an important part of those storage conditions.
Some medicines need to be stored below 25°C because exposure to excessive heat may affect their quality or how well they work.
However, storage requirements vary between medicines. Always check the packaging and patient information leaflet for the instructions relating to your particular medication.
Does ‘Store Below 25°C’ Mean Keep Refrigerated?
No. Storing medication below 25°C does not automatically mean it should be kept in a fridge.
This is an important distinction.
Some medicines are designed to be stored at room or ambient temperature while being protected from excessive heat. Other medicines require refrigerated storage, commonly within a specified range such as 2°C to 8°C.
Putting medication in a refrigerator when the manufacturer hasn’t instructed you to do so isn’t necessarily safer.
Always follow the storage instructions supplied with your medication. If you’re unsure, speak to your pharmacist, doctor or the medicine’s manufacturer.
Where Can Medication Get Too Hot?
Keeping medicine below 25°C can be more difficult than it sounds, particularly during warm weather or while travelling.
Your medication isn’t necessarily experiencing the same temperature shown on the weather forecast. What matters is the temperature where the medicine is actually being stored.
Particular care may be needed when medication is:
- left inside a parked car
- carried in a handbag or backpack
- stored in luggage
- left in direct sunlight
- kept on a windowsill
- carried at the beach
- taken camping or to a festival
- stored in a warm hotel room
- carried during a long journey
A car, bag or other enclosed space exposed to sunlight can become much hotter than the surrounding air.
That means protecting medication from heat isn’t only something to think about when travelling to a hot country. It can be relevant during warm weather here in the UK too.
What Happens If Medication Gets Too Hot?
Exposure to temperatures outside the recommended storage conditions can affect some medicines.
The difficult part is that you may not be able to tell simply by looking at the medication whether excessive heat has affected it.
If you think your medication has been exposed to temperatures outside its recommended range, check the manufacturer’s instructions and seek advice from your pharmacist, doctor or the medicine’s manufacturer.
Don’t automatically assume that medication which has become warm is either safe to use or needs to be thrown away. The appropriate advice will depend on the specific medicine and the conditions it has been exposed to.
Do All Medicines Need to Stay Below 25°C?
No. There is no single temperature that applies to every medicine.
Depending on the product, instructions may specify:
- storage below 25°C
- storage below 30°C
- a particular room-temperature range
- refrigerated storage
- different storage conditions after opening or during use
That’s why it’s important to check the instructions for your specific medicine rather than assuming that all temperature-sensitive medications have the same requirements.
How Do You Keep Medication Below 25°C When Travelling?
Travelling can make temperature-controlled medication storage more challenging because you have less control over your surroundings.
Consider the entire journey rather than just the temperature at your destination.
Your medicine might travel from your home to a car or taxi, through an airport, onto a plane, through another warm airport and finally to your hotel or accommodation.
The same principle applies to everyday activities.
Camping, festivals, hiking, sporting events, days at the beach, long car journeys and simply spending a summer’s day away from home can all mean carrying medication in warm conditions for several hours.
Planning how you’ll protect temperature-sensitive medication from excessive heat before leaving home can make things much easier.
How Can You Keep Medication Cool Without a Fridge?
If your medication can be stored at room or ambient temperature but needs protection from excessive heat, a portable medication cooling solution may be appropriate.
FRÍO® Medication Cooling Wallets are designed to help keep suitable temperature-sensitive medication cool when you’re away from refrigeration.
Activated using only water, a FRÍO® wallet uses evaporative cooling technology to maintain an internal temperature of approximately 18–26°C for a minimum of 45 hours, even at a constant environmental temperature of 37.8°C.
There is no electricity, refrigeration or ice pack required, and the wallet can be reactivated using water.
That makes a FRÍO® medication cooling wallet particularly convenient for travel, holidays and everyday activities where keeping suitable medication protected from excessive heat may otherwise be difficult.
Are FRÍO® Cooling Wallets Just for Insulin?
No. FRÍO® cooling wallets aren’t just for insulin.
FRÍO® has become particularly well known as a way of keeping insulin cool, but insulin isn’t the only medication that may need protection from excessive heat.
A FRÍO® wallet can be used for other temperature-sensitive medications that are suitable for storage within the temperature range maintained by the wallet.
The important thing is to check the storage requirements of your particular medicine before using one.
Can I Use a FRÍO® Wallet for Medication That Needs Refrigeration?
A FRÍO® cooling wallet is not a refrigerator.
FRÍO® wallets maintain an internal temperature of approximately 18–26°C under the stated conditions. They should therefore not be considered a replacement for refrigerated storage at 2–8°C where a medicine must continuously remain within that range.
Always check the storage instructions for your particular medicine before using a FRÍO® wallet.
Keeping Temperature-Sensitive Medication Safe in Hot Weather
If your medication needs to be stored below a certain temperature, a little preparation can make a big difference.
Remember:
Check the label.
Find the storage temperature specified for your particular medication.
Don’t assume ‘below 25°C’ means refrigerated.
Room-temperature storage and refrigerated storage aren’t the same thing.
Think about where your medicine is being carried.
Cars, bags, luggage and direct sunlight can expose medication to considerably higher temperatures.
Plan before travelling.
Think about your complete journey and how you’ll protect your medication along the way.
Get advice if you’re unsure.
Your pharmacist, doctor or the medicine’s manufacturer can advise you about its correct storage requirements.
Keep Your Medication Cool Wherever Life Takes You
Whether you’re going on holiday, heading to a festival, camping, spending a day outdoors or simply dealing with warmer weather at home, keeping temperature-sensitive medication within its recommended storage conditions is important.
And it isn’t just about insulin.
If your medication is suitable for storage within the temperature range maintained by FRÍO®, a FRÍO® Medication Cooling Wallet provides a simple, reusable way to help protect it from excessive heat — without ice packs, electricity or refrigeration.
Just add water. Go anywhere.
Always check the manufacturer’s storage instructions for your medication before using a cooling wallet. FRÍO® wallets maintain approximately 18–26°C under the stated conditions and are not a substitute for refrigerated storage at 2–8°C. If you’re unsure about your medication’s storage requirements, speak to your pharmacist, doctor or the medication manufacturer.
