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Temperature-sensitive medications during power outages

Many critical prescription medications (including insulin, biological therapies, growth hormones, eye drops, and certain liquid antibiotics) require continuous cold storage, typically between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius (36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit). Power outages threaten medication potency and safety.

Do this now

  1. Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed tight. An unopened refrigerator preserves cold temperatures for up to 4 hours.
  2. Prepare a small, dedicated insulated cooler for medications. Do not store medications in coolers with food or beverages.
  3. Wrap ice packs or gel packs in thick towels before placing them in the cooler. Never let ice directly touch insulin or biologics, as freezing destroys protein-based medications.
  4. Keep a digital thermometer inside the medication cooler to monitor temperatures continuously.
  5. Contact a pharmacist or your prescribing physician if power is out for more than 4 hours to verify medication stability.

Insulin temperature stability guidelines

Insulin is a protein hormone that degrades when exposed to extreme heat or freezing temperatures:

  • Unopened insulin: Should be kept refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius (36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Opened / In-use insulin: Can remain at room temperature (below 30 degrees Celsius / 86 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 28 days without losing potency.
  • Extreme heat warning: If ambient temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), in-use insulin must be kept in a cooling pouch (such as a Frio evaporative cooling wallet) or insulated cooler.
  • Never freeze insulin: Frozen and thawed insulin clumps, loses potency, and must be discarded immediately.

Biologics and injectable medications

Biological medications (such as Humira, Enbrel, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and auto-injectors) contain complex proteins:

  • Room temperature limits: Most biologic auto-injectors can remain at room temperature (below 25 degrees Celsius / 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for 14 to 21 days depending on manufacturer specifications.
  • Do not return room-temp biologics to the fridge: Once a biologic auto-injector reaches room temperature, use it within the manufacturer's room-temp window. Do not re-refrigerate it unless specified by a pharmacist.
  • Discard if cloudy or discolored: If a liquid medication becomes cloudy, clumped, or discolored, do not inject it.

Emergency cooling techniques during extended outages

When power outages last multiple days:

  • Evaporative cooling wallets: Frio wallets use water-activated crystals to keep insulin at safe temperatures using evaporative cooling, requiring no electricity or ice.
  • Community cooling centers: Move medications to a hospital, community cooling center, or pharmacy with generator backup.
  • Emergency prescription refills: Many jurisdictions allow emergency 30-day refills of critical medications during official state-of-emergency declarations.