Travel- with weight control medicines
Table of Contents
We’re not alive just to pay bills and lose weight. No – sometimes we just need a holiday…
Would you like to book a vacation and are worried that you won’t be able to travel because you have to take medication with you that needs to be permanently refrigerated?
Are you concerned that traveling might expose your insulin or weight loss pens to too high temperatures?
So many people have exactly these concernsand therefore conclude that they have to choose between traveling and safe treatment at home. So much so that they prefer to stay at home because they don’t know how to transport their temperature-sensitive medicines. Do you feel the same way?
Since a reliable travel cooler for medication is hard to find, many patients are sometimes desperately searching for weeks. Their temperature-sensitive medication cannot maintain the prescribed temperature in standard medication cooler bags!
Fortunately, there is a solution!
You can go on short or very long trips confidently without compromising the efficacy of your cold chain-requiring medicines. You can have this confidence when traveling with a wonderful travel partner such as the certified COOL*SAFE cool bag:
- Your medication will not drop below 2 °C/36 °F and
- remains safely between 2 – 8 °C/ 36 – 46 °F for many hours.
Only then can you make your travels stress-free. And enjoy the sweet moments of life …
The two most important things to consider when purchasing a medical cooler bag for your temperature-sensitive medicines:
To understand the dangers of most cooler bags for your health, even if they are advertised as ‘medicine cooler bags’, please also read this important information in detail on Test: Cool bags
Make sure the manufacturer provides proof that their cooler bags keep your medicine from dropping below 2°C/36 °F. Even if a bag has great cooling time, it’s not safe if it gets too cold for your medicine and allows it to freeze.
Sometimes such bags are advertised as having been tested by independent test institutes. Ask to see the test certificate – your safety comes first! You can use the information on Test: Cooling bags to assess the validity of those test certificates.
Don’t be swayed by claims like “12-hour cooling,” “24-hour cooling,” or “48-hour cooling.” These promises can often be more about marketing than reality. To find out more about the reasons for this, read on here: Test: Cool bags. Relying on these promises alone could leave your medicine unprotected and outside the prescribed safe temperatures it needs.
This general information on cooling time does not correspond to the actual conditions. The general statement on the cooling time does not reflect the temperature of the medicine itself, but at best how long a cold pack keeps the cold inside itself at a very specific outside temperature.
If you see a cooler bag that gives such general cooling time information, THIS is already a decisive indication that this cooler bag is NOTsuitable for your medicines. It is not possible to give a general cooling time as the warmer the ambient temperature, the shorter the cooling time.
Be careful: A cool bag producer can easily claim to provide a very long duration of e.g. 24 hours, but ONLY on the costs that it freezes the medicine previously. A long cooling duration does not provide any value, if the medicine gets destroyed. If you freeze your salad, even if you reheat it after freezing and then keep it cooled for 24 hours, it won’t change the fact that it’s ruined and mushy – you still won’t be able to eat it.
With a bag like this, you can’t start your journey relaxed because you can’t rely on it.
So, it’s best to focus on how well a cool bag actually keeps your medicine safe and at the right temperature in everyday use.
The cooling times of the COOL*SAFE models have all been professionally tested many times and take into account the different everyday conditions that you experience as a patient.
With COOL*SAFE, you can therefore travel with peace of mind!
Insulin and w-loss pens: Prescribed temperature range
Traveling with insulin and w-loss pens may seem a little overwhelming, but with the right preparation, you can make it entirely manageable/handle it quite easily.
Basically, while traveling and on vacation, we need to keep the prescribed refrigeration at 2 – 8 degrees and ensure the maximum room temperature.
To make things easier for you, we have created a checklist for you here:
Before the trip:
- Think about how many syringes and pens you need to take with you.
- For a long trip of 2 weeks or more:
Check the patient information leaflet and here to see how long your medication can be stored at room temperature. If your trip lasts longer than a single pen may remain unrefrigerated, you must take additional pens or syringes with you, which must remain permanently in the cold chain. You will then need a COOL*SAFE.
You must keep your medication refrigerated at a temperature of 2-8 degrees without interruption if your vacation lasts longer than
- 2 to 6 weeks – depending on the brand of weight control medicine
- 4 weeks – for insulin.
While traveling:
– Monitor the ambient temperature: Ensure that your pens or syringes in use remain within the prescribed temperature range: Depending on the brand this is max. 25 – 30 °C (77 – 86 °C). If they got warmer, you need to throw them away.
– Keep unused pens and syringes without interruption at 2 – 8 °C / 36 – 46 °F: Otherwise, even medication that has not yet been opened must be thrown away after 2 – 6 weeks, depending on the brand of medication. To avoid this, please read the page: Package insert to find out the temperature ranges required for your medication
– Avoid using standard household cool boxes or even most so-called, uncertified ‘medication cooler bags’, as these can cause the temperature of your insulin or weight loss medication to drop below 2 °C (36 °F)! The typical insulin travel cases, on the other hand, keep the temperature above 8°C (46 °F) and are therefore also unsuitable. Please read: Test: cool bags for further information.
Further tips for a comfortable travel experience
In addition to keeping your medicines at the right temperature, here are some simple steps to help you enjoy a smooth and comfortable travel experience.
01
Pack extra supplies:
Even on short trips, your medication may become too warm, i.e. above 25/30 °C, and you will then have to throw it away. Therefore, consider taking extra pens,
02
Keep medicine in your carry-on:
Avoid placing your medicines in checked luggage, as the temperature and the pressure in the cargo hold can fluctuate significantly. It’s best to keep them with you in your carry-on.
03
Bring a prescription note:
Have a doctor’s note or prescription handy to avoid any delays with airport security. This can also be very helpful if you need a replacement or re-buy during your trip.
04
Check storage options:
In case of staying at a hotel, you should confirm in advance if they have a fridge where you can store your insulin or w-loss pens and a freezer to freeze the cold packs. The most important thing is to make sure that your medication does not freeze in the fridge or in an unsuitable cool bag, as this can destroy the pens.
05
Adjust for time zone changes:
When traveling across time zones, plan how to adjust your insulin schedule in advance. You can also consult your doctor about the best approach.
06
Wear medical identification:
A medical ID card or bracelet mentions that you are diabetic, in case of emergencies.
Keep exploring — because now you have a reliable companion to help you reach EVERY destination you dream of!
Take a look at some great travel reports HERE: Traveling with medicines.
COOL*SAFE - Ideal for every journey!
Short distances - Short-haul travel
For our considerations in relation to the protection of our temperature sensitive medicines, the term “short distance” does not refer to the distance in meters, but to the time it takes to cover the distance.
The journey from the pharmacy to home may seem short for you, but for your medicine, it could be a race against time!
Even just five minutes can be too long for your medicine to start losing its effectiveness.
Since unused insulin and weight loss pens need to be kept at a refrigerator temperature of 2 – 8 °C (36 – 46 °F) at all times, you need to refrigerate them even on short routes. How do you do this?
For the safe transport of your medicines:
* Avoid using the cooler bag that comes as a gift from the drug manufacturer, if it is not COOL*SAFE, as it most likely does not provide enough protection for your medicine. Here we explain the exact reasons: Test: cooler bags and how you can recognize these dangers in other cooler bags. Ask your manufacturer for a COOL*SAFE cool bag or alternatively for proof of drug safety in such a gift bag. You can then use the information on Test: Cooling bags to assess the validity of those certificates.
* If your pharmacy offers a delivery service, be sure to ask if they use a certified and safe cool bag. Styrofoam boxes or common cool bags, where ice packs and medicines are placed near to each other, can be dangerous—they can damage your medicine in just a few minutes! Read more about it here: Text: cool bags.
Your insulin and weight loss medication that you are currently using can be up to 25 or 30 °C (77 or 86 °F) warm. If they got warmer, they must be thrown away.
25 or 30 °C (77 or 86 °F) are quickly reached in summer or in the car at other times of the year! You therefore have this transport situation almost every day.
You can of course also use your COOL*SAFE to maintain temperatures up to 25 or 30°C (77 or 86 °F)! The cooling time is therefore many hours longer than just up to 8°C / 46 °F.
This means you only need one cool bag in total, which you can use for all occasions: COOL*SAFE.
Choosing an unsafe cool bag might sometimes save you some money, but you could end up paying a much higher price if your medicine becomes ineffective. Not only financially due to increasing treatment costs, but also health-wise with the illness progressing or due to adverse effects.
Only a trusted solution like the certified COOL*SAFE can ensure your medicines stay protected from the pharmacy to your home and on any other routes.
Long distances - Long-haul travel
The duration of cooling depends on the ambient temperature. The hotter the environment, the shorter the cooling time. COOL*SAFE keeps your medicines safe through intense heat, long flights, and even extended trips around the globe.
You can only enjoy your journeys knowing your medicines will not be harmed and your treatment is not at risk.
Not only has your cool bag to prevent the medicine from getting too cold in the first few minutes, but also has to maintain a safe temperature of up to 8 °C/46 °F for many hours. COOL*SAFE provides both.
Whether you’re heading across State or across the globe in scorching heat, COOL*SAFE cool bags can give the protection your medicines need: between 2 – 8 °C (36 – 46 °F) and also to avoid temperatures above 25 / 30 °C (77 / 86 °F).
Travel with a smile and let COOL*SAFE® do the rest for you!
COOL*SAFE is made to protect your medicine from these hidden dangers:
– Unpredictable cooling duration due to thawing: COOL*SAFE cool bags are ready for immediate use thanks to some unique features. You don’t have to let the cold packs thaw first, as is necessary with other bags. Ice packs are less thawed after 15 minutes at an outside temperature of 20 degrees/68 °F than at an outside temperature of 30 degrees/86 °F. When thawing the ice packs the remaining cooling duration can no longer be determined, because the degree of thawing depends on the ambient temperature. For this reason COOL*SAFE gives you the control over your medicine’s safety because the cooling duration remains determinable. Additionally there is no waiting time, which allows for very spontaneous adventures.
Good to know
When you need a travel cooler bag for medicines, the question arises: which option is the safest?
that standard cooler bags are not suitable. They are presented in advertising as cooler bags that are intended for other purposes such as food, drinks or even general medication, but these cannot protect your insulin and weight loss pens. Even if they also state “medication”, this can only refer to creams.
These options are unsafe for providing the correct temperature and needed cooling duration for your temperature sensitive medicines. They are for food and drinks, not for medicine.