Guide
Storage & Shipping
GLP-1 medications are peptides. Heat degrades them and freezing destroys them, and neither failure is visible in the vial. Here is exactly how long each one tolerates room temperature, what to do when a delivery arrives warm, and how to travel with them.
How Long Each One Tolerates Room Temperature
| Medication | Refrigerated | Room temperature | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic (semaglutide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) until first use | Up to 56 days after first use | The most forgiving of the group once you have started the pen |
| Wegovy (semaglutide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C) | Up to 28 days at or below 86°F (30°C) | Single-dose pens; use as directed and do not re-refrigerate after room storage |
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C), keep in the original carton | Up to 21 days at or below 86°F (30°C) | Once at room temperature it must not go back in the fridge — discard after 21 days |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | 36–46°F (2–8°C), protect from light | Up to 21 days at or below 86°F (30°C) | Same rule as Mounjaro: no returning to the fridge, discard at 21 days |
| Compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide | Follow the pharmacy label — usually refrigerated | Not standardised | Beyond-use dates are set by the compounding pharmacy and are typically much shorter than a branded product's shelf life |
Never freeze any of them, and never use one that has been frozen — even if it has thawed and looks normal. Freezing damages the peptide structure and the medication may simply not work. Keep pens in their original carton to protect from light, and never store them in a car, a checked bag, or against a freezer wall.
Your Delivery Arrives Warm
Do not just use it and hope
Telehealth GLP-1s ship in insulated packaging with cold packs, and that packaging is designed for a specific transit window. If the box arrives with the cold packs fully thawed and warm to the touch, if it sat on a doorstep in summer heat, or if delivery was delayed beyond the advertised window, the cold chain may have been broken. Photograph the packaging and the thawed packs, note the delivery time, and contact the provider before injecting anything.
Questions worth asking before you order
- •Do you ship refrigerated, with cold packs and insulated packaging?
- •What is the guaranteed transit time, and do you ship before weekends?
- •What is your policy if a shipment arrives warm — replacement, or nothing?
- •Can I schedule delivery for a day I will be home to receive it?
Providers that advertise overnight or two-day temperature-controlled shipping are solving a real problem, not padding a feature list. Several providers we rate highly make a point of it — and at least one platform we reviewed drew praise from customers specifically for packaging that arrived properly chilled.
Travelling With Injectables
Flying
- ✓Carry medication in hand luggage, never checked — holds are unpressurised for temperature and bags get lost
- ✓Keep it in the original labelled carton, which also helps at security
- ✓Medically necessary liquids and needles are permitted through US airport security; declare them at the checkpoint
- ✓Bring a copy of the prescription or the pharmacy label, especially for international travel
Keeping it cool
- ✓An insulated medication travel case with gel packs is the standard answer for longer trips
- ✓Do not let the pen touch a frozen gel pack directly — wrap it, or use packs rated for 2–8°C rather than frozen
- ✓For short trips within the room-temperature window, a cooler is optional — a hot car is not
- —Hotel minibar fridges are often warmer or colder than they claim; check with a thermometer if you can
Compounded products follow the pharmacy's rules, not the brand's
The room-temperature windows in the table above come from the approved labelling for branded products. A compounded preparation is a different formulation, often in a multi-dose vial rather than a pen, sometimes blended with B12 or other additives, and its beyond-use date is set by the compounding pharmacy — typically much shorter than a branded product's shelf life. Follow the label your pharmacy supplied, and if it does not carry clear storage instructions and a beyond-use date, ask for them before you use it. That is a reasonable request, and a pharmacy that cannot answer it is a problem.
Storage figures here reflect approved product labelling as at August 2026 and can be updated by the manufacturer — the leaflet in your carton is the authority for your specific product. If you are choosing a provider partly on shipping quality, our provider rankings note which ones ship temperature-controlled and how quickly.
Keep reading
Medical Disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting or changing any treatment. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, are not evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality, and are not equivalent to the branded drug beyond sharing an active ingredient. GLP-1 medications commonly cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, and carry risks including pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and kidney injury; they are contraindicated in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2, and should not be used in pregnancy, when trying to conceive, or while breastfeeding. Prescribing is subject to clinician approval and is never guaranteed. Individual results vary and no outcome is promised.