Insulin storage while away from home

As the temperature changes, so does the potency of insulin. (Attachment)

So, when you're out and about, pay extra attention to insulin storage; too high or too low a temperature can damage insulin.

1. Never keep insulin in a place where the temperature is too high.If the car is air-conditioned in summer, you can put it in the car, but if you leave the car, you should never put the insulin in the car, because the temperature in the car is very high in summer, even more than 50℃. Do not put it in the trunk of the car where there is no air circulation.

2. Avoid direct exposure of insulin to sunlight or heatIf you have a large amount of time on the ground, such as on the beach or in strong direct sunlight, especially for a long period of time, you should not use it for a long period of time.

3. Insulin should avoid violent shocksto avoid affecting the efficacy of the drug.

The proper way to carry insulin outside the home:When traveling in the summer, you should carry your insulin with you in an insulated box or bag. Insulated boxes or bags are generally available in supermarkets. If you are going to stay in the heat for a longer period of time, it is best to put some ice in the insulated box beforehand. If you don't have any, you can buy a bottle of cold mineral water and put the insulin and mineral water together. In addition, if you are staying in a hostel with a refrigerator in the room, it is recommended that you store the insulin in the refrigerator.

My mom has been injecting insulin for many years. Preserving insulin whenever she goes out is just important because insulin is something that can't be too cold or too hot, neither directly in the freezer nor in a room with too high a temperature, especially in summer.

The best storage temperature for insulin is between 2 degrees and 8 degrees, which is basically equivalent to the temperature of the freezer inside the refrigerator. If it is a long-distance trip, then if you are driving by yourself, you can buy a freezer for the car and put it in directly.

If you are not driving by yourself, then you can bring an ice pack and insulated box, be careful not to let the insulin come into direct contact with the ice pack, you can wrap the ice pack with a towel and put it inside the insulated box, then put the insulin inside. If you don't have an insulated box, then when you put it in, pay attention to whether the ice pack is melting out and replace it with a new one in time.

Traveling, after arriving at the destination we will have to check in, basically hostels and hotels will have a refrigerator inside, you can ask the front desk to help you put a good freezer. It does not need to be a high-class hotel, 7-11 and Ruijia also have it inside.

Insulin is mainly used in patients with type I and type II diabetes. For example, it is used for those who have been ineffectively treated with food and oral hypoglycemic drugs; for those who have combined severe metabolic disorders (e.g., ketoacidosis); for those with severe infections, gestational diabetes, and for those who have had major surgeries; and for those who have corrected intracellular potassium deficiencies.

When storing insulin: unopened vials of insulin for use should be kept in a cold place at 2 to 10 degrees Celsius; insulin injections that have already been started can be kept at room temperature (maximum 25 degrees Celsius) for 4-6 weeks. If insulin appears to be frozen, it should not be used.

So, for insulin dependent patients traveling long distances, you can bring insulin injections that you have already started using if the temperature does not exceed 25 degrees. That's not a big problem if you're traveling by car or train, but if you're going to fly, you'll also want to bring a doctor's prescription.

If the temperature exceeds 25 degrees, you will have to carry an insulated box to store insulin.

People with diabetes need to be on medication for life and control their blood sugar through medication to avoid complications. Only with a healthy body can we work and enjoy life. That's why it's very important to have medicines on hand for traveling.

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Diabetes mellitus is typed into two categories, insulin-dependent and insulin-independent. Insulin-dependent patients, also known as type 1 diabetics, are characterized by an absolute decrease or absence of insulin secretion caused by a significant decrease and disappearance in the number of pancreatic β-cells, and need to be treated with insulin as soon as they are diagnosed. Then there is a troublesome question, how to carry and store our insulin if we encounter long distance traveling?

Most of the insulin preparations have this marking on the outer box: the product should be refrigerated in a refrigerator at 2°C-8°C before opening and use, and freezing is prohibited. Insulin refills in use do not have to exist in the freezer, can be stored at room temperature (usually not more than 25 ℃) for 4-6 weeks, and its insulin bioactivity will not be significantly changed.

When we travel, for unopened insulin, we'd better carry a portable product for storing insulin (refrigerator, ice bag, cooler bag, etc.), or you can bring your own thermos cup, when using, insulin don't stick directly to the ice bag, it's advisable to place it wrapped with a towel and so on, in order to prevent it from freezing and make insulin ineffective. Put it into the refrigerator freezer as soon as possible after arriving at the destination. If the insulin is being used, it can be carried and stored indoors at room temperature, but generally not more than 25℃; when you arrive at a hot climate (more than 30℃), you should store the insulin in a cooler bag and carry it with you, and put it into the refrigerator as soon as possible after arriving at your destination. Another point to note, if you are traveling by air, remember that insulin should be carried along with you, not in the checked baggage. Because when the airplane is flying at high altitude, the temperature of the luggage compartment is below 0℃. In the case of low temperature or violent vibration, the disulfide bonds in the molecular structure of insulin will be broken, and thus the biological activity will be destroyed, resulting in the loss of efficacy.

In general, insulin is afraid of both freezing and heat, and should neither be frozen nor kept in an environment exceeding 30°C. It is not recommended to keep insulin in use refrigerated, as it is easier to mix insulin at room temperature, and we feel more comfortable using insulin injections, and repeated changes in temperature highs and lows can affect the effectiveness of insulin.

Shiyan People's Hospital Pharmacist-in-Charge Ke Jing, Member of the Pharmacy Network

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