Storage and the fridge: getting it right
Wegovy is a fridge medicine with sensible tolerances. Here is what the leaflet requires before first use, what is allowed once a pen is in use or out of the fridge, and how to handle delivery day.
Last checked 1 Nov 2026
Short answer: keep unused pens in the fridge at 2C to 8C in their original box, never frozen and away from the cooling element. Out of the fridge, pens tolerate a limited period below 30C. The exact allowance is printed in the leaflet with your pen type, so check yours and note the date it came out. Use clear and colourless solution only. Cloudy means do not use.
The rules that never change
- 2C to 8C in the fridge before first use, in the original packaging to protect the solution from light.
- Never freeze. Keep pens away from the freezer compartment and the fridge's cooling element. A frozen pen must be discarded even after thawing.
- Cap on. Keep the pen cap on when not in use, for light protection.
- Eyes before every use: the solution must be clear and colourless. Anything cloudy, discoloured or containing particles means contact the dispensing pharmacy instead of injecting.
- Expiry: check the printed expiry date. Storage rules never extend it.
Out of the fridge and delivery day
The leaflet permits a limited unrefrigerated period below 30C, which is what makes insulated pharmacy delivery and normal daily use workable. The allowance differs between pen presentations, so treat the leaflet in your own box as the authority and write the removal date on the carton when a pen comes out for good. On delivery day, unpack promptly and refrigerate. Insulated packaging is designed for transit, not for a week in a porch. If a parcel arrived clearly compromised, photograph it and contact the dispensing pharmacy before using the pen. UK pharmacies replace transit damaged medicine as a matter of course.
Planning a trip? Cool bags, hotel fridges and airport rules have their own page: see travelling with your medicine. If delivery timing is the recurring problem, delivery speed differs between providers. Compare it on the price comparison alongside price.
Storage questions
Where should unused pens be kept?
In a fridge between 2C and 8C, in the original packaging to protect from light, away from the cooling element, and never frozen. A pen that has been frozen must not be used.
How long can a pen stay out of the fridge?
The leaflet allows a limited unrefrigerated period below 30C. The exact allowance depends on your pen type and is printed in the leaflet supplied with it, so check your own leaflet and note the date the pen came out.
My delivery arrived warm. Is it ruined?
Not automatically. UK pharmacies ship in insulated packaging designed for transit, and pens tolerate a limited period below 30C. If packaging arrived damaged, the pen looks unusual, or you suspect it was hot for a long time, contact the dispensing pharmacy before using it.
Can I use a pen that looks cloudy?
No. The solution should be clear and colourless. Cloudy, discoloured or particle containing solution means do not use. Contact the dispensing pharmacy.
Sources referenced on this page
Standing primary references for every iGovy page:
- Wegovy (semaglutide) Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet, electronic medicines compendium
- MHRA Drug Safety Update: GLP-1 receptor agonists
- NICE TA875: semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity
- General Pharmaceutical Council register of pharmacies
- MHRA Yellow Card scheme
