Purpose. Data regarding the recommended maximum duration that refrigerated medications available in hospital pharmacies may be stored safely at room temperature were collected and compiled in a tabular format.

Methods. During May and June of 2006, the prescribing information for medications labeled for refrigeration as obtained from the supplier were reviewed for data addressing room-temperature storage. Telephone surveys of the products’ manufacturers were conducted when this information was not available in the prescribing information. Medications were included in the review if they were labeled to be stored at 2–8 °C and purchased by the pharmacy department for uses indicated on the hospital formulary. Frozen antibiotics thawed in the refrigerator and extemporaneously compounded medications were excluded. Information was compiled and arranged in tabular format. The U.S. Pharmacopeia’s definition of room temperature (20–25 °C [68–77 °F]) was used for this review.

Results. Of the 189 medications listed in AHFS Drug Information 2006 for storage in a refrigerator, 89 were present in the pharmacy department’s refrigerator. Since six manufacturers were unable to provide information for 10 medications, only 79 medications were included in the review. This table may help to avoid unnecessary drug loss and expenditures due to improper storage temperatures.

Conclusion. Information regarding the room-temperature storage of 79 medications labeled for refrigerated storage was compiled.

https://fdohcentralpharmacy.com/resources/downloads/StorageRequirements.pdf

Room-temperature storage of medications labeled for refrigeration

Objetivo


Evaluar las condiciones de conservacion en el domicilio del paciente de 2 medicamentos termolabiles, el etanercept (Enbrel®) y el adalimumab (Humira®), y establecer la posible influencia sobre la temperatura (Ta) media de conservacion de variables como el numero de personas que viven en el domicilio, la edad de los pacientes o la antiguedad de la nevera.



Material y metodos


Estudio observacional prospectivo. La muestra estuvo constituida por 60 pacientes en tratamiento con Enbrel® o Humira®. Se utilizaron tarjetas con un sensor termico integrado, VarioSens®, que se colocaron sobre el embalaje externo del medicamento, programadas para registrar la Ta cada 90min, durante aproximadamente 30 dias. Se empleo como variable principal la Ta media de conservacion detectada en los frigorificos.



Resultados


Los resultados confirmaron que existe mayor riesgo de conservacion inadecuada mantenida (mas de 24h consecutivas) cuando la Ta media del frigorifico esta fuera del rango 2�8°C (riesgo relativo=3,9; intervalo de confianza del 95%=1,95�7,93; p<0,0001). Treinta y cinco pacientes (58,3%) tenian el medicamento a una Ta media fuera del rango establecido. Se observaron diferencias significativas en la Ta media de conservacion en funcion de la antiguedad del frigorifico, inferior o superior a 5 anos (p=0,029). La antiguedad superior a 5 anos supuso un factor de riesgo para una conservacion inadecuada (riesgo relativo=1,68; intervalo de confianza al 95%=1,04�2,71), con p=0,023 en la prueba de la Ji al cuadrado de Pearson.



Conclusiones


Es necesario establecer procedimientos que garanticen la trazabilidad de las condiciones de conservacion de los medicamentos termolabiles a nivel domiciliario. Las nuevas tecnologias lo permiten, facilitan el asesoramiento al paciente y la toma de decisiones en cuanto a dispensacion y reutilizacion en caso de devolucion, y mejoran asi nuestra calidad asistencial.

Calidad en la conservación de los medicamentos termolábiles en el ámbito domiciliario

The refrigeration of thermolabile medicines and vaccines require the continuous provision of electrical energy so that their therapeutic efficacy is not affected This represents an important problem for rural zones where there is no accessible electrical energy In this work, we design a photovoltaic energy system for refrigeration of thermolabile medicines to be used in rural towns without electrical energy available The system uses a thermoelectric refrigerator based on the Peltier effect, which produces a temperature difference when electrical power is provided to it It will be shown that for a typical application for vaccine refrigeration, the required module is about 92 W peak connected to batteries with a storage capacity of 212 Ah The designed refrigeration system should store 5 l of vaccines at temperatures in the range between 4 °C and 6 °C using a Peltier cell (TEC) that consumes 37 W at 12 V

Design of a photovoltaic system using thermoelectric Peltier cooling for vaccines refrigeration

http://scielo.isciii.es/pdf/fh/v38n3/04original03.pdf

Estabilidad de los medicamentos termolábiles ante una interrupción accidental de la cadena de frío

http://www.aulamedica.es/gdcr/index.php/fh/article/download/1084/1084

Conservación de medicamentos termolábiles

http://www.grupoaran.com/mrmUpdate/lecturaPDFfromXML.asp?IdArt=457935&TO=RVN&Eng=0

P Salvador Collado

Papers

Estabilidad máxima de los medicamentos termolábiles fuera de nevera