How to store and travel with Wegovy® and Mounjaro®
Reviewed by Dr Bhavini Shah
Wegovy® and Mounjaro® are prescription only weight loss treatments. If prescribed, it’s important you store your treatment correctly to keep the active ingredient safe and effective.
We’ve put together a guide on storing and travelling with these treatments to support you on your weight loss journey.
Mounjaro® and Wegovy® – what are they?
Both medications are weekly injections. They work in similar ways, but they are not the same. You can learn about the key differences between Mounjaro® and Wegovy® here.
They both work by:
- Suppressing your appetite
- Making you feel fuller for longer
- Slowing down the rate that food leaves your stomach
How to store Wegovy® and Mounjaro®
For both medications, the storage guidelines are the same:
- Keep the medicine out of sight and reach of children
- Keep your unopened Wegovy® and Mounjaro® pens in the fridge at 2 – 8°C (there’s more on this later in the article)
- Keep your pens in their original packaging to protect the medicine from light
- Do not freeze them – to avoid this, check that your fridge doesn’t get any colder towards the back
- Before using your pen, you will need to check that it isn’t frozen
- When taking your pen from the fridge, take care not to drop it on a hard surface as it contains glass parts
- Used pens must be disposed of in a sharps bin – you should have been provided with one
How long can my weight loss treatment be kept out of the fridge?
We recommend putting Wegovy® and Mounjaro® in the fridge as soon as they are delivered to avoid any issues.
Mounjaro®
Treatment can be kept for up to 30 days outside of the fridge once opened but should not sit in temperatures higher than 30°C. A cooling pouch can help with this.
Each pen contains four doses and should last you the whole month if stored properly. If not, you may not be able to use it all, for example, if you keep it out of the fridge upon delivery and start a week later.
Wegovy®
Each Wegovy® pen contains four doses (four weeks’ worth of treatment). If Wegovy® is kept out of the fridge it must be used within six weeks. A cooling pouch can help with this. If it's stored above 30°C, it will need to be discarded.
What if I’m travelling and need to take my weight loss treatment?
If you’re going on holiday (or travelling for any reason) and will be due to take your injection on your trip, we recommend getting a medical grade cooler.
- You will need to keep unopened Wegovy® pens in a cooling container if they would otherwise be out of the fridge for six weeks
- You will need to keep unopened Mounjaro® pens in a cooling container if they would otherwise be out of the fridge for six weeks
Wallets and pouches are available online specially designed for this reason. If you’re unsure about what cooler to get, you can message us in your Patient Record if you are a LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor patient.
Always keep your treatment with you during your trip
It’s important that you keep your medication with you or in your hand luggage if you are flying. This is because it runs the risk of freezing in the plane hold. If your medication freezes you won’t be able to use it.
For safety reasons, even if you are not flying, we recommend keeping your treatment very close by and not in storage that you can’t easily access.
Airport security
You may need to declare your medication if you’re travelling internationally – the Travel Health Pro website is a good place to start. You can also check the customs regulations of your destination.
We also recommend taking your prescription and keeping your treatment in the original packaging to avoid any issues.
Travelling across time zones
When travelling across time zones, it can be easy to lose track of your medication schedule. We recommend setting alarms or reminders to help you take your injections on time. This is important because it makes sure your treatment stays as effective as possible.
References
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.15481.pdf
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.13800.pdf
