Does Semaglutide Expire? Storage, Fridge and Travel

Does semaglutide need to be refrigerated? Storage and travel

Yes, and the box date is not the only deadline. Wegovy's single-dose pen allows up to 28 days at 46°F to 86°F, the Wegovy FlexTouch pen expires 56 days after it is first used ^[1], and FDA tells people using compounded multi-dose vials to throw them out 28 days after the first dose is drawn ^[2].

Updated Oct 17, 2026By the Wellchosen Health editorial team

Medical review: pending. A licensed clinician has not yet reviewed this page.

Shelf life by semaglutide product

Semaglutide storage limits: branded pens, tablets and compounded vials
Product	Until first use	Once opened or unrefrigerated	Discard when
Wegovy single-dose pen	Cold, 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C)	In the carton at 46°F to 86°F (8°C to 30°C), 28 days maximum ^[1]	It has frozen, sat in light, gone above 86°F, or been out of the fridge 28 days or longer ^[3]
Wegovy FlexTouch pen	Cold	Needle removed, 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C) or in the fridge, 56 days maximum ^[1]	Day 56 after the first dose ^[1]
Wegovy tablets	Room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C), kept dry	Unchanged; leave them in the closed original bottle ^[1]	Never transfer to a pill box ^[1]
Compounded vial	Per the pharmacy label	Per the pharmacy label	28 days after the first puncture, or on arrival if it came warm (FDA advice) ^[2]

Ozempic cartons carry their own rules. Its current Medication Guide was not available to us for this update, so read the leaflet in your box; our Ozempic storage page has more.

Wegovy-only scenarios, such as a pen left out overnight or a hot car, are covered in Wegovy storage. Ozempic users can start at Ozempic storage.

Fridge life: branded pens vs compounded vials

A branded pen that never leaves the refrigerator lasts until the carton's expiration date. Two shorter clocks can cut that short: 28 days once a single-dose pen comes out of the fridge, and 56 days from the first use of a FlexTouch ^[1]. Compounded vials work differently. The compounding pharmacy prints its own beyond-use date, and FDA's advice is to throw out a multi-dose vial 28 days after the stopper is first pierced ^[2].

Compounded semaglutide is not FDA-approved, and FDA does not review it for safety, effectiveness or quality ^[2], so storage claims on a compounded label have not been checked by FDA. Read compounded semaglutide before you buy.

Out of the fridge, warm or frozen

Unrefrigerated. The Wegovy single-dose pen gets a 28-day allowance at 46°F to 86°F, provided it stays in the box ^[1]. Leaving one out for a day, 24 hours, falls inside that, so long as the room stayed in range.

Overheated. Any Wegovy single-dose pen that went above 86°F should be thrown away ^[3]. For compounded injectables, FDA says not to use one that shows up warm ^[2]. Your pharmacy can tell you about a replacement.

Frozen. A Wegovy single-dose pen that has frozen goes in the trash ^[3]. With other products, check with the pharmacist before thawing or using anything.

Using expired semaglutide

No label speaks to using a pen or vial past its expiration or discard date, so its strength and safety at that point are unknown, and we advise against it. Ask the pharmacy about a replacement. If the wait means skipped shots, tell your prescriber: two or more missed Wegovy doses in a row can mean restarting at a lower dose ^[3]. The rules for late doses are in how to use semaglutide.

Travel with branded pens, tablets or vials

The Wegovy label gives a single-dose pen 28 days at up to 86°F inside its carton, gives an opened FlexTouch 56 days at up to 86°F, and keeps tablets at room temperature in their bottle ^[1]. Avoid both freezing and heat above 86°F on the road ^[3]. For a compounded vial, the pharmacy label sets the limits, so ask the pharmacy before you pack it.

Security screening and customs rules sit outside the label, and we could not check them for this update. Bring the pharmacy label with you, and confirm the rules with your airline and, for trips abroad, the country you are visiting.