How to Store Humulin R U-500 KwikPen: 28 Days
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[Storage · Humulin R U-500]

How to store Humulin R U-500 KwikPen

Quoted from the US label · Unopened vs in use · Travel · Sources · Reviewed

Short answer: Keep unused Humulin R U-500 KwikPens in the fridge at 36-46°F (2-8°C) until the expiration date. At room temperature up to 86°F (30°C) a pen lasts 28 days in total, counting both unopened and in-use time. Keep the pen you are using at room temperature, not in the fridge, and throw it away after 28 days. Do not freeze it. Source: Humulin R U-500 label, section 16.2.

What does the Humulin R U-500 label say?

Section 16.2: “Protect from heat and light. Do not freeze. Do not use if it has been frozen.” Footnote to the storage table: “When stored at room temperature, HUMULIN R U-500 KwikPen can only be used for a total of 28 days, including both not in-use (unopened) and in-use (opened) storage time.”

Humulin R U-500 US prescribing information, section 16.2, Table 2.
3 mL KwikPenRoom temperature (up to 86°F, 30°C)Refrigerated (36-46°F, 2-8°C)
Not in use (unopened)28 daysUntil expiration date
In use (opened)28 daysDo not refrigerate

The 28 days are one budget, not two: time an unopened pen spends at room temperature counts against the same 28 days.

How do you handle the pen in use?

  • Instructions for Use: “Store the Pen you are currently using at room temperature up to 86°F (30°C). Keep away from heat and light.”
  • “Throw away the Pen you are using after 28 days, even if it still has insulin left in it.”
  • Do not use the pen past the expiration date on the label.
  • The used pen may go in household trash after the needle is removed; needles go in a sharps container.

Humulin R U-500 is 5 times as concentrated as U-100 insulin. The carton says do not transfer it to a syringe, since a severe overdose can result. Section 16 of the current label lists only the KwikPen; the same label still carries Instructions for Use for a 20 mL vial, which say an opened vial can be kept in the fridge or at room temperature up to 86°F (30°C) for up to 40 days. See Humulin R U-500 side effects and the Humulin R U-500 dosing schedule.

How do you travel with it?

An in-use KwikPen travels at room temperature, up to 86°F (30°C), within its 28 days. Every day an unused spare spends out of the fridge comes off its own 28 days, so carry spares cold, away from direct contact with an ice pack.

  • 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.
HumalogFridge until expiry; 28 days at room temperature; in-use pens not refrigerated. NovoLogFridge until expiry, or 28 days up to 86°F; in-use pens not refrigerated. Left out of the fridgeExact room-temperature hours and days from each label, and the temperature ceiling. Traveling with injectablesTSA rules for liquids, syringes and ice packs, plus the label temperature limits to plan around.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a Humulin R U-500 KwikPen good once opened?+
28 days at room temperature up to 86°F (30°C). The 28 days include any time the pen spent unopened at room temperature.
Should I refrigerate the Humulin R U-500 pen I am using?+
No. The label says in-use KwikPens are not refrigerated.
How long can an unopened Humulin R U-500 KwikPen be out of the fridge?+
Up to 28 days at room temperature up to 86°F (30°C), and that time counts toward the pen's 28-day total.
Can I use Humulin R U-500 that froze?+
No. The label says do not freeze, and do not use it if it has been frozen.

Sources

  1. Humulin R U-500 (insulin human injection 500 units/mL) KwikPen US prescribing information, DailyMed
  2. TSA: Liquid medications
  3. TSA: Unused syringes
  4. TSA: Gel ice packs

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