Medication storage: temperature ranges, light protection and restricted access
PTCB topic: Storage of medications
- Room temperature: 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F).
- Refrigerator: 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F).
- Vaccine freezer: −50°C to −15°C (−58°F to 5°F).
- EpiPen stays at room temperature in its tube, not in the fridge.
- Lock controlled substances or disperse them; keep pseudoephedrine behind the counter.
Key facts
- Controlled room temperature: 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), with excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F).
- Refrigerator: 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F); vaccine freezer: −50°C to −15°C (−58°F to 5°F).
- Varicella and MMRV vaccines are stored frozen; liquid vaccines with an aluminum adjuvant, such as hepatitis B, must never be frozen.
Show all 7 key factsShow fewer
- EpiPen is stored at 68°F to 77°F in its carrier tube to protect it from light and is not refrigerated.
- Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets stay in the original glass container, tightly capped; Pradaxa capsules stay in the original bottle to protect them from moisture.
- Under 21 CFR 1301.75, pharmacies keep Schedule II–V drugs in a securely locked, substantially constructed cabinet or disperse them through noncontrolled stock.
- Under 21 CFR 1314.25, pseudoephedrine goes behind the counter or in a locked cabinet so customers cannot reach it before the sale.
Quick check1 question · 2 more at the end
Vaccines and medications labeled for refrigerated storage are kept within which temperature range?
Correct answer: D.
The refrigerator range on drug labels and in CDC vaccine guidance is 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F). Controlled room temperature is 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), and the vaccine freezer range is −50°C to −15°C (−58°F to 5°F). Knowing all three lets you match any storage label quickly.
A 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F) is controlled room temperature, not refrigeration.
B −50°C to −15°C (−58°F to 5°F) is the freezer range for frozen vaccines such as varicella.
C 8°C to 15°C (46°F to 59°F) is warmer than a refrigerator; it is not the refrigerated range on labels.
D Correct: labels and CDC give the refrigerator range as 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F).
Full lesson
Each part starts with its main idea. Open a part when you want the details.
The short answer: Controlled room temperature is 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), the refrigerator is 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) and the vaccine freezer is −50°C to −15°C (−58°F to 5°F). Keep light-sensitive drugs in their original packaging. Under federal law, controlled substances are locked up or dispersed through stock, and pseudoephedrine stays out of customers' reach.
1 Which storage temperature ranges should you know?Three label ranges cover almost every product a pharmacy stocks. 1 min
Three label ranges cover almost every product a pharmacy stocks. Learn each one in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
| Condition | Celsius | Fahrenheit |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled room temperature | 20°C to 25°C (excursions 15°C to 30°C) | 68°F to 77°F (excursions 59°F to 86°F) |
| Refrigerator | 2°C to 8°C | 36°F to 46°F |
| Freezer (vaccines) | −50°C to −15°C | −58°F to 5°F |
CDC also lists ultra-cold freezers (−90°C to −60°C) for a few vaccines. The 2026 PTCE outline lists temperature ranges, light protection and restricted access under storage.
2 Which products go in the refrigerator or freezer?Insulin, many biologics and most vaccines are refrigerated, but some products must never be chilled. 1 min
Insulin, many biologics and most vaccines are refrigerated, but some products must never be chilled. These examples come from current labels and CDC.
| Storage | Examples |
|---|---|
| Refrigerate | Unopened insulin, adalimumab (Humira), unopened latanoprost (Xalatan), hepatitis B vaccine |
| Freezer | Varicella and MMRV vaccines |
| Room temperature, do not refrigerate | Epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) |
| Room temperature | Nitroglycerin sublingual tablets (Nitrostat), dabigatran (Pradaxa), furosemide injection |
Liquid vaccines with an aluminum adjuvant, such as hepatitis B, permanently lose potency if frozen. Some refrigerated products allow a short time out: Humira up to 77°F for 14 days, and an opened Xalatan bottle up to 77°F for 6 weeks.
3 How are drugs protected from light and moisture?Keep sensitive products in the packaging the manufacturer chose until they are used. 1 min
Keep sensitive products in the packaging the manufacturer chose until they are used.
- Light: EpiPen stays in its carrier tube, and Humira stays in its carton. Furosemide injection and Xalatan are labeled "protect from light." CDC marks many vaccines "protect from light" too.
- Original container: nitroglycerin sublingual tablets stay in the original glass bottle, tightly capped after each use, to keep their potency.
- Moisture: Pradaxa capsules stay in the original bottle, never in a pill organizer.
4 How should a vaccine refrigerator be run?CDC's storage toolkit gives a few simple rules that protect vaccine potency. 1 min
CDC's storage toolkit gives a few simple rules that protect vaccine potency.
- Never use a dormitory- or bar-style combined refrigerator/freezer.
- Don't store vaccines on door shelves, in drawers or directly under cooling vents.
- At the start of each workday, check and record the minimum and maximum temperatures.
- After an excursion, notify the vaccine coordinator or supervisor and label the vaccines "Do not use." Keep them at the correct temperature without discarding them. Document the event, and contact the manufacturer or health department.
5 Which products need restricted access?Federal rules require locked or controlled storage for products that are often stolen or diverted. 1 min
Federal rules require locked or controlled storage for products that are often stolen or diverted.
- Controlled substances (21 CFR 1301.75): Schedules II–V go in a securely locked, substantially constructed cabinet, or pharmacies may disperse them throughout the noncontrolled stock to obstruct theft.
- Pseudoephedrine (21 CFR 1314.25): customers may not have direct access before the sale, so it goes behind the counter or in a locked cabinet.
Some states set stricter rules; this lesson covers federal law only.
6 What the technician doesThe technician keeps every product in its labeled condition from delivery to dispensing. 1 min
The technician keeps every product in its labeled condition from delivery to dispensing.
- Check and store vaccine deliveries as soon as they arrive.
- Log refrigerator and freezer temperatures and report any out-of-range reading right away.
- Dispense nitroglycerin and Pradaxa in their original containers, and keep light-sensitive items in their cartons.
Common mistakes
The traps students fall into most. Read these before you practice.
Watch out: EpiPen is kept at room temperature, not in the refrigerator.
Watch out: Unopened Xalatan goes in the refrigerator; only an opened bottle may stay at room temperature (up to 77°F for 6 weeks).
Watch out: Vaccines exposed to a temperature excursion are labeled "Do not use" and kept cold, not thrown away right away.
Watch out: A Class V safe is required only for a few substances such as carfentanil, not for every Schedule II drug under federal law.
Watch out: Vaccines belong in stable areas of the storage unit, not on door shelves, in drawers or under cooling vents.
How to remember it
Remember the three Fahrenheit ranges as "68–77 room, 36–46 fridge, −58 to 5 freezer." Memory hook: "Epi stays out of the fridge and inside its tube."
Self-check:
- Give the refrigerator range in °C and °F.
- Name one vaccine stored frozen and one that must never be frozen.
- Under federal law, name two ways a pharmacy may store Schedule II drugs.