Mounjaro can be stored past 30 days if always refrigerated??

[NoBiting]

Okay I've read so many discussions around this and I've searched including Eli Lilly's website and I agree with the few people who seem to have figured out (have they or are we wrong?) that Eli Lilly has kept the statement surrounding fridge storage a bit vague (for whatever reason, some people say because of tests not going further than 30 days but which doesn't prove anything past 30 days; others say it's so they can make money off us buying MJ pens every month. I don't know what to think here).

Most of us know or have been told that we need to discard Mounjaro kwikpen after 30 days of first use but what Eli Lilly hasn't expressly stated is if this includes when stored in the fridge all the time. Their writings typically mention room temperature, then further vague statements about discarding it after 30 days without ever mentioning refrigerated pens.

Here's the screenshot and excerpt of what I'm talking about from Eli Lilly's website:

"How should the Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) KwikPen® be stored?

Store an unused KwikPen in the refrigerator between 2ºC – 8ºC. Protect the medicine from light and do not freeze. After first use, patients may store their pen at room temperature up to 30 °C and dispose of it after 30 days."

Here's another one and note the circled part on the pic (and bolded on here) where it seems to infer (or basically state) that the 30 days is only based on room temp storage...OR am I reading it wrong?

"What are the recommended storage conditions?
Unused KwikPens 1,2

must be stored in the refrigerator between 2 ºC – 8 ºC.
Do not freeze. Discard if frozen.
May be used until the expiration date printed on the label if the KwikPen has been kept in the refrigerator.
After first use, the patient may store the used KwikPen1,2

at room temperature up to 30°C
away from heat and light,
The KwikPen;

must NOT be stored with the needle attached, to prevent leaking, blocking the needle and air entering the pen.
must be stored with the pen cap attached.
The pen must be discarded after 4 weekly doses and must not be used more than 30 days after the first use.

How should wholesalers, HCPs and pharmacies store Mounjaro KwikPen?
During shipping and storing by wholesalers, health care professionals (HCPs) and pharmacies, Mounjaro must be kept between 2°C and 8°C.3

The 30-day room temperature exposure allowance refers to the used pen, and wholesalers, distribution Centers, HCPs and pharmacies cannot use any part of this allowance."

Here's the link to the screenshots/excerpts so you can see it for yourselves.

medical.lilly.com/uk/products/answers/how-should-the-mounjaro-tirzepatide-kwikpen-be-stored-217607

Now this is what spurred me into looking into this, a post on Facebook where someone insistently posted a screenshot supposedly from Asda Online Doctor which expressly states you don't need to discard after 30 days if refrigerated. I say "supposedly" because there was no link to verify if it came from Asda OD or not. Upon searching Asda OD myself, I couldn't find the specific screenshot the poster shared but I found another screenshot which sort of uses a similar vague language towards fridge storage but clearly states 30 days after room temp.

Here is the screenshot of the poster that I couldn't verify (Sorry i dont have it in written format so i can't copy and paste it here as an excerpt).

Here is the screenshot/excerpt of what I did find, which sort of supports the poster's unverified screenshot.

"How should I store Mounjaro?

Store Mounjaro in its original packaging, out of reach and sight of children. Don’t use it after the expiration date on the pen label. You can store Mounjaro in the fridge between 2°C and 8°C, but make sure it doesn’t freeze. You can also store Mounjaro out of the fridge, but not above 30°C, for up to 30 days. After 30 days out of the fridge, Mounjaro should be discarded.

How long can Mounjaro be out of the fridge?

Mounjaro should ideally be kept in the fridge, but it can be stored unrefrigerated for up to 30 days. If you keep Mounjaro out of the fridge, it must not exceed temperatures above 30°C. It should not be exposed to light, so keep it in its original box or a medication box."

Here is the link to the Asda OD site so you can verify for yourselves too. You'll need to scroll down a bit to get to it.

https://onlinedoctor.asda.com/uk/mounjaro

So all this leads me to wonder if indeed the answer to this somehow popular question and discussion on MJ forums and groups online (more so on others than mumsnet but a thread on here today also spurred me to locate the facebook post and do some searches) about 'do we really have to discard after 30 days if kept in the fridge' is "No we don't"? I don't know.

Due to the vague language from the manufacturer specifically, I personally cannot recommend this to anyone but I'm not going to discourage anyone from doing so either unless someone can show me a clearly expressed statement from Eli Lilly that the pen must be discarded after 30 days of first use if kept in the fridge at all times. Not a clumsily worded sentence or a vague blanket statement about storage but one that is as clear as where they clearly stated that you must discard after 30 days if stored at room temperature. Even when someone said on Reddit that they contacted Eli Lilly to clarify storage, I don't think they got a straight statement about fridge storage or got any response at all (I can't remember as it's been at least a month I saw that).

(There are 2 more screenshots that i can't remember where i found to get the links while I was searching, one was from facebook as well. They also support similar statements surrounding storage but feel free to ignore since they're unverified. I'm posting them after this post since I can only share a certain number of photos in one post.)

So what are your thoughts on this?

Please, I'm looking for honest thoughts and not insults as some posters tend to do about this. Thanks for reading x

🙌 🙌 🙌

Good work @IrisPallida !

Super clear. Straight from the horses mouth. No room for any doubt there even if it was not what people might have wanted to hear.

Hope that’s put your mind at rest OP!

Smashed it @IrisPallida

Good shout to contact manufacturer as opposed to an endless round of semantics

Looking forward to @NoBiting popping back to thank @IrisPallida for obtaining clarification and to apologise to all the people she disbelieved and was rude to.

Me, by the time that happens

I waa actually the one who suggested that in my post but I guess you didn't read them.

Please point out the ones I was rude to and how.

You’ve got your answer OP so you can rest easy now, one less thing to worry about! Ideal outcome to your thread.

And also don't forget to point out the ones who were and are still rude to me that you conveniently missed.

Me, by the time that happens

@IrisPallida Thanks for your post. As you may know, if I posted words on here, the immediate request would be to ask for link/source because words aren't the "horse's mouth", unfortunately. So, If you could kindly screenshot the email you received and remove any personal information, that would be great.

I stated I would change my opinion once they make a direct statement and I'd like to see a link/source to their direct statement as, as much as your friends here are weirdly gleeful, I don't know you and don't have to take your written word for it. It doesn't mean I don't think it's true though, just that I need a source/link as we all may understand. This being mumsnet, the home of "source/link please".

I'd like to think so. Thanks @magicalmrmistoffelees If nothing else, the screenshot of the email is what I'll use to show anyone on any platform who comes up with this line of argument and probably go to the threads where they've argued this in the past and show as proof so that we all can focus on using MJ as stated. I can't just copy and paste written words and ask them to believe me, unfortunately.

As it has been repeatedly pointed out to you, the source is plain to see. It's on all the leaflets. "Discard used pens after 30 days" or however it is worded.
I genuinely have no idea how there is any other way to interpret that.

Please let's not keep repeating ourselves. The line of argument of "leaflet" is tired and gone.

What I currently asked is very simple and reasonable (and has been done on this thread throughout, not to mention the rest of mumsnet on any topic) and shouldn't be a problem to the pp or anyone. I don't think it needs 'blocking' from other posters for whatever odd reason. Thank you.

Tell you what @NoBiting why don’t you email them yourself. @IrisPallida has kindly left the contact details. That would set your mind at rest - direct contact

I already did, after i posted my thread and suggested it. Still waiting for a response. IrisPallida's screenshot will help for now till I receive a copy of mine.

I'm very sure if I came back with a response, I'd be asked for the same.

Here is the email. I hope this works...

The manufacturer has simply reiterated, in the same words, what is written in the pack instructions, and what several of us have been saying to you.

Why not contact them yourself, if somehow the words in the leaflet are insufficient for you? It would have taken much less of your time than arguing with people on here.

Thank you very much @IrisPallida . Yes this works and it's just what I needed to see.

That particular paragraph is important (Some may think not and that's fine).

I'm a vet and all injectables in multiuse vials have to be discarded after 30 days from first use .
It's a standard across the board protocol.
Do I think using an injectable antibiotic on day 31 would be an issue.., no
Do I use it ..no , it's against the guidelines

Happy with the outcome (as I said earlier, I've also been preaching to discard after 30 days before this thread and glad to know I've not been wrong. I don't apologise for not taking anyone's word for what I didn't see. Now I do with that specific paragraph. Hopefully they'll add it to any new literature as it should be). I don't apologise for arguing with posters about it till I got confirmation. Posters stayed and argued of their own freewill and could have left the thread if they didn't want to.

I'm sure this screenshot will be used on here too to show people when this argument crops up again, thanks to this thread.

I'll also update the thread when I receive my response.

Of course they won't add it to any literature, as it's totally unnecessary to do so. The current statement is minimally sufficient.

Thanks. Hopefully they'll add a proofread version though, someday.

I'm not sure why it angers people to say that I hope they'll have it written. It doesn't/wouldn't remove anything from Mounjaro or the literature, and it's not exactly a lot of words to add. Just a line that still fits into what is there already. It can only be a good thing for some people, even if you personally don't find it necessary.

Anyway, as I already said, the screenshot is helpful even if they never add that line to their leaflets or website.

I agree with this.

There is no lack of clarity and no ambiguity in the leaflet for most readers, but if some people are unable to understand it, adding a short reiterating paragraph may be necessary.