How Long Can Ozempic Be Out of the Fridge? Storage Guide
An in-use Ozempic pen can stay at room temperature for 56 days; new pens go in the fridge. What to do if a pen got hot or cold, and how to travel with it.
Once you've started using an Ozempic pen, it can stay out of the fridge for up to 56 days, as long as it's kept between 59°F and 86°F (15°C to 30°C). New, unused pens should be kept in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) until their first use. Ozempic should never be frozen or left in a hot car, and a pen that has frozen or overheated shouldn't be used.
Below are the storage rules from the label, what to do if a pen was left out by mistake, and how to travel with Ozempic without ruining it.
Ozempic Storage Rules at a Glance
How to store Ozempic pens
New pen, not yet used
Refrigerator, 36°F–46°F (2°C–8°C), in the original box
Until the expiration date
Pen in use
Room temperature 59°F–86°F (15°C–30°C) or refrigerator
Up to 56 days after first use
Any pen
Keep the cap on to protect from light; remove the needle after each injection
Always
Frozen at any point
Don't use it
Discard
Above 86°F (30°C), such as a hot car
Don't use it
Discard and ask your pharmacist
The 56-day clock starts the day you first use the pen, not the day you take it out of the fridge, and it doesn't reset if you put the pen back in the fridge. Write the start date on the box so you don't have to remember it. After 56 days, throw the pen away even if there's medicine left.
I Left a Pen Out Overnight. Is It Ruined?
Usually not, if it's a pen you've already started. A pen in use is meant to be kept at room temperature for up to 56 days, so a night on the counter is fine as long as the room stayed below 86°F.
A new, unused pen left out is less clear-cut, because the label says to refrigerate pens before first use. If it was at normal room temperature for a short time, many pharmacists treat it as if the 56-day clock has started. If it got hot, froze, or you're unsure how long it was out, call your pharmacist or Novo Nordisk's customer line before using it. A pen with medicine that looks cloudy, colored or has particles should never be used; Ozempic should be clear and colorless.
Heat and Cold Are the Real Dangers
Semaglutide is a protein-based drug, and heat or freezing can damage it without any visible change. A damaged pen may simply not work, which you might notice as appetite or blood sugar creeping back. The most common ways pens get ruined:
- 1Leaving a pen in a parked car, which can pass 100°F within minutes in summer.
- 2Putting it in the back of the fridge or next to the freezer compartment, where it can freeze.
- 3Packing it in checked luggage, where cargo holds can get very cold.
- 4Putting it directly against ice packs in a travel cooler.
Traveling With Ozempic
- 1Carry it on. Keep pens in your carry-on bag, never in checked luggage. TSA allows injectable medications, pen needles and ice packs for medical needs; tell the officer at screening.
- 2Bring the box or pharmacy label so it's clear the pen is prescribed to you, especially for international trips.
- 3For a pen in use, room temperature is fine for the trip as long as it stays below 86°F. An insulated travel case helps in hot climates.
- 4For new pens, use a cooler with ice packs, but wrap the pen so it doesn't touch the ice directly.
- 5Crossing time zones: keep your injection on the same day, adjusting by a few hours if needed. You can shift your weekly day as long as doses stay at least 2 days apart.
- 6Pack an extra needle or two and enough doses for delays.
If a trip makes you miss a dose, see our missed dose guide.
Storing Ozempic Tablets
The daily Ozempic tablets are simpler: they're stored at room temperature and don't need refrigeration. Keep them in the original bottle with the cap tightly closed, because the tablets are sensitive to moisture, and don't move them into a pill organizer.
Disposing of Pens and Needles
Remove the needle after every injection and put it in an FDA-cleared sharps container or a heavy-duty plastic container with a tight lid, such as a laundry detergent bottle. Never throw loose needles in the trash. Expired or used pens without needles can usually go in household trash, but check local rules. Many pharmacies offer sharps disposal programs.
Bottom Line
Keep new Ozempic pens in the fridge, and once a pen is in use, it can live at room temperature for up to 56 days. Never freeze it, never leave it in a hot car, and carry it on when you fly. When in doubt about a pen that got too hot or cold, ask your pharmacist before using it, because a damaged pen can stop working without looking any different. For how Ozempic is taken overall, see What Is Ozempic?.
FAQ
A pen in use can be kept at room temperature (59°F–86°F) for up to 56 days after first use. New, unused pens should be refrigerated until first use.
No. After first use you can keep it in the fridge or at room temperature below 86°F, for up to 56 days total.
Heat above 86°F can damage the medicine without visible change, so it may not work. Don't use a pen left in a hot car; ask your pharmacist about a replacement.
It must not freeze. If a pen has frozen, don't use it, even after it thaws.
Yes. Keep it in your carry-on, not checked luggage. TSA allows injectable medications and ice packs; tell the officer at screening.
No. Store them at room temperature in the original tightly closed bottle to protect them from moisture.
Sources
- 1Ozempic (semaglutide) prescribing information, Novo Nordisk
- 2Medications and medical equipment at airport screening, Transportation Security Administration
- 3Safely using sharps (needles and syringes) at home, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Sheri Tomas
Author
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