The stability and quality of refrigerated medicines are greatly affected by temperature. Temperature changes can change the form of medicines, lead to oxidation, decomposition, and hydrolysis of medicines, affect their physical and chemical properties, and easily lead to the growth of parasites and microorganisms. If the storage conditions of the drug are not refrigerated according to the instructions, the temperature will be too high or too low, which will lead to the deterioration and failure of the drug.
When traveling long distances, corresponding storage measures should be taken. It is recommended to use refrigerated equipment to carry refrigerated medicines for transport. If you use a medical insulated box, place an ice pack on both sides and top of the inner wall of the incubator to maintain the temperature inside the box at 2°C to 10°C within 13 hours. A special reminder is that you should avoid placing ice packs in the lower part of the incubator to avoid lowering the temperature below 2°C and affecting the activity of the drug. If a frozen ice pack is placed, it is recommended that the medicine be wrapped in foam plastic or paper before being placed in an insulated box to prevent the medicine from being directly attached to the ice pack, which may cause the medicine to become too low and cause failure or denaturation.
For some medicines that need to be used in batches for a long time after opening, such as insulin, eye drops, nasal sprays, etc., they can be stored at room temperature after opening. Insulin injection and salmon calcitonin nasal spray can be stored for up to 28 days after opening. If not used up after 28 days, it is recommended to discard it; refrigerated eye drops can generally be stored at room temperature for up to 7 days after opening.
During summer travel, whether refrigerated medicines can be kept at room temperature after opening, and the maximum storage time "varies from medicine to medicine." Patients must read the instructions in detail, understand medicine storage and other precautions, and operate as required.