When your Mounjaro® or Wegovy® medication is delivered to you, it travels in specially designed packaging to maintain its quality and effectiveness. Understanding how these medications remain stable during transit can help put your mind at ease if you notice changes to the cooling elements in your package.
How your medication is protected in transit
Both Mounjaro® and Wegovy® are temperature-sensitive medications that require careful handling during transport. Your medication is packed in insulated, validated packaging that is designed to keep it within a safe temperature range during normal delivery times. Here's what you need to know about how we protect your medication:
Insulated Packaging System
Your medication arrives in validated insulated packaging (such as Puffin packaging) designed to maintain appropriate temperatures throughout the delivery process. This packaging includes:
Insulated outer box that provides thermal protection
Cooling elements (ice packs or gel packs) to maintain low temperatures
Internal cushioning to protect the medication from physical damage
Temperature monitoring systems to track conditions during transit
As the parcel travels, it is completely normal for:
The ice packs to be soft or fully melted
The outside of the box to feel room temperature or slightly warm
The Stability Window
Both Mounjaro® and Wegovy® have been tested by the manufacturers and shown to remain stable for a period at room temperature once taken out of the fridge:
Mounjaro®: stable for up to 30 days when stored below 30°C
Wegovy®: stable for up to 6 weeks when stored below 30°C
This means that:
Your medication can still be safe even if the parcel is no longer cold when you receive it
The insulated packaging and normal room-temperature stability give a large safety margin, even if there were some delays with the courier
The medication must still be used within its stated expiry date and within these room-temperature time limits.
What to Expect When You Receive Your Package
Normal Delivery Conditions
When your package arrives, you may notice:
Ice Packs May Be Soft or Melted: This is completely normal and does not indicate that your medication has been compromised. The insulated packaging continues to provide protection even after the cooling elements have thawed.
Package May Feel Warm: The outer packaging may not feel cold to the touch, but the internal temperature is maintained within safe limits by the insulation system.
Medication Appearance: Your Mounjaro® or Wegovy® should appear clear and almost colourless. If the medication looks cloudy or has changed colour, contact our pharmacy team before use.
These signs mean the packaging has done its job during the journey and that the medicine is likely to remain stable.
You should contact our pharmacy team before using the medicine if:
The solution looks cloudy or discoloured
You see particles or clumps in the pen
The pen or its packaging is cracked, broken, or leaking
The parcel appears severely damaged or tampered with
Quality Assurance Measures
We monitor every delivery to ensure your medication arrives safely:
Dispatch tracking records when your medication leaves our temperature-controlled facility
Delivery confirmation verifies when your package arrives
Temperature validation ensures the entire journey falls within the stability window
Manufacturer guidelines are followed for all storage and transport requirements
When Packages Are Delayed or Returned
Delivery Delays and Stability Assessment
If a package exceeds safe delivery timeframes, we will arrange a replacement. A safe delivery timeframe is defined as the period outside which the medication becomes unstable and unsafe for administation based on the product’s stability profile.
In the event of a delay, we apply the following process:
Dispatch and tracking data are reviewed to determine the length of transit and any deviation from expected timeframes.
Manufacturer stability tools (e.g. Eli Lilly’s temperature excursion assessment tool for Mounjaro®) are used to evaluate whether the medication has remained within its acceptable storage conditions.
If the review indicates that the medication has exceeded safe temperature or time thresholds, a replacement will be issued at no cost to the patient.
The original package must not be used and should be returned or safely discarded. Please note replacement or refund cannot be offered without return of the original package as per pharmacy regulations
This ensures all medications supplied remain safe, effective, and compliant with MHRA and manufacturer storage guidance.
Returned Packages (Failed delivery attempts)
If a package is returned to us unopened:
Check the integrity of the packaging
Assess the time in transit
Apply manufacturer stability guidance for Mounjaro® and Wegovy®
Only medication that is confirmed as safe, within its stability window, and in line with MHRA and manufacturer guidance will be re-supplied. When appropriate, we may update the expiry information before sending it out again.
Guidance on Accepting Your Medication Delivery
UK pharmacy and regulatory guidance encourages patients not to refuse a medication delivery simply because the cooling packs are soft or melted, or the external package feels warm. These are expected features of temperature-managed deliveries and do not indicate that your medication is compromised.
As long as the outer packaging is intact and the pen or injection device is undamaged and the medication inside appears clear and colourless, it is considered safe to accept and use.
Our partnered couriers and logistics providers operate under strict healthcare protocols, ensuring the medication is handled and transported in accordance with pharmaceutical requirements. In nearly all cases, your medication is still well within its validated stability window when delivered and is stable within .
This guidance helps protect against unnecessary supply interruptions and ensures continuity of care for your treatment.
Your Medication's Safety
Storage After Delivery
Once you receive your medication:
Store in the refrigerator (2°C to 8°C) if you haven't started using it
After first use, store below 30°C for up to 30 days (Mounjaro®) or 6 weeks (Wegovy®)
Protect from light by keeping the pen cap on when not in use
Do not freeze your medication
Signs to Watch For
Contact our pharmacy team if you notice:
Cloudy or discoloured medication in the pen
Particles or clumps in the medication
Damaged packaging that may have compromised the medication
Concerns about delivery conditions or timing
Quality Standards and Compliance
Our delivery process meets strict pharmaceutical standards:
Manufacturer validation confirms 72-hour stability at controlled temperatures
Regulatory compliance with MHRA and pharmaceutical guidelines
Professional oversight by qualified pharmacists
Continuous monitoring of delivery performance and medication quality
Why your medication is not treated as strict cold-chain
In UK practice there are two broad types of refrigerated medicines:
Strict cold-chain medicines
These must stay between 2°C and 8°C at all times and have no licensed room-temperature stability. If their temperature history is unknown, they usually cannot be reused.
Refrigerated medicines with room-temperature allowance
This includes GLP-1 medicines such as Mounjaro® and Wegovy®, which have a manufacturer-approved period where they can safely be kept below 30°C for a limited time (for example, up to 30 days for Mounjaro® and up to 6 weeks for Wegovy®).
For these medicines, MHRA guidance does not require continuous temperature tracking for every delivery or return. Instead, the requirement is that our pharmacy's Responsible Person must be able to confirm:
The packaging remained intact
There is no reasonable suspicion of exposure to temperatures above 30°C
The product remained within its validated stability window
No tampering or damage occurred
Because Mounjaro® and Wegovy® fall into this second category, they have a greater degree of flexibility in storage and transport compared to strict cold-chain medicines. This is why a returned pen can be safely re-supplied if all GDP criteria are met, ensuring you receive a medication that is both safe and effective.