Short answer: Keep unopened Apidra in the fridge at 36-46°F (2-8°C), protected from light, until the expiration date, or up to 77°F (25°C) for 28 days. Opened vials last 28 days in the fridge or at room temperature; an in-use SoloStar pen lasts 28 days at room temperature only. In a pump, Apidra is changed at least every 48 hours. Do not use Apidra that froze. Source: Apidra label, section 16.2.
What does the Apidra label say?
Section 16.2: “Dispense in the original sealed carton with the enclosed Instructions for Use. Do not freeze.” “Do not use after the expiration date (see carton and container).”
Apidra US prescribing information, section 16.2 storage table.
| Form | Unopened, refrigerated | Unopened, room temp (up to 77°F) | In use (opened) |
|---|
| 10 mL multiple-dose vial | Until expiration date | 28 days | 28 days, refrigerated or room temperature |
| 3 mL SoloStar prefilled pen | Until expiration date | 28 days | 28 days, room temperature (do not refrigerate) |
The refrigerated column adds “Protect from light”. Table footnote for the vial: “The in-use time for multiple-dose vial is either 28 days at room temperature up to 77°F (25°C) or 48 hours in insulin pump up to 98.6°F (37°C).”
Apidra’s room-temperature limit is 77°F (25°C), lower than the 86°F (30°C) on many other insulin labels such as Humalog and NovoLog.
What do the Instructions for Use add?
- Unopened vials: “Store unused APIDRA vials in the refrigerator from 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).” “Keep APIDRA away from direct heat and light.” “If a vial has been frozen or overheated, throw it away.” Stored at room temperature, unopened vials are thrown away after 28 days.
- Opened vials: “Store in-use (opened) APIDRA vials in a refrigerator from 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) or at room temperature below 77°F (25°C) for up to 28 days.” Throw them away after 28 days, even if insulin is left.
- Pen before first use: “Keep new pens in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).” “Take a new pen out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you inject. Cold insulin is more painful to inject.”
- Pen after first use: “Keep your pen at room temperature up to 77ºF (25ºC).” Keep it away from heat or light, with the cap on, without the needle attached, and do not put it back in the refrigerator. Use it for up to 28 days after first use.
What about Apidra in a pump or IV bag?
- Pump (section 16.2): “Change the APIDRA in the pump reservoir at least every 48 hours, or according to the pump user manual, whichever is shorter, or after exposure to temperatures that exceed 98.6°F (37°C).”
- The Instructions for Use add that heat exposure “may occur if the pump housing, cover, tubing, or sport case is exposed to sunlight or direct heat.”
- IV use: diluted Apidra in normal saline infusion bags is stable at room temperature for 48 hours.
See the Apidra dosing schedule and Apidra side effects.
How do you travel with it?
An in-use Apidra pen or vial travels at room temperature for the rest of its 28 days, but the label limit is 77°F (25°C), so a hot car or a sunny bag can go over it. Unopened spares can stay cold; out of the fridge they have 28 days. Keep them off direct contact with an ice pack, since frozen Apidra is not used.
- TSA allows medically necessary liquids over 3.4 oz in carry-on bags; declare them at the checkpoint for inspection.
- Unused syringes and pen needles are allowed when they travel with the injectable medicine.
- Ice packs and gel packs that keep medicine cool may go through frozen, partly frozen or melted.
- Keep medicine in your carry-on, not checked luggage, where you cannot control the temperature. Do not let it touch an ice pack directly, since most labels say do not freeze.
More in the travel guide.
Quoted from the current US label on DailyMed, not personalized advice. Labels change; the leaflet in your own carton, your pharmacist and your prescriber are the final word on how to store it.