Author Topic: Just received 1st refill - too hot! (Read 13207 times)

drummerman · « **on:** July 24, 2015, 02:47:28 pm »

Just received my first refill (thankfully a week before I need it). Its very hot here in the south, and it did not arrive until 1pm via ups. So I measure the temp with my temp gun and it was 96 degrees in the styrofoam container. Printed information provided with the product says it should be stored below 86 degrees.

So I called the online pharmacy, which has been a constant source of errors and incompetence and was told by the pharmacist that they had had issues before and were told by the manufacturer that it can be store at up to 100 degrees. (which I thought was total bs)... but she did say I could do a return and someone would call hopefully by next tuesday and set up the return and replace and add ice. She made agree that I would be responsible for the ice being added since that was not in the shipping instructions. Are you kidding me ... its 95 degrees outside my window right now.

Anyway, one part of me says I'm making too big a deal out of this but the other part says hell no, I only get one shot and bad medicine could ruin it.

Been trying to find a number for Abbvie, but of course phone numbers are never listed on the net. Wanted to see what they thought of a 96 degree shipment.

Arrggghhh.

so now another week of worrying about my refill. I hate online pharmacies.

dm

drummerman · « **Reply #1 on:** July 24, 2015, 06:11:13 pm »

btw - the printed information on viekira says to store at 86 degrees or below.

I would encourage all to check with their supplier (if using online rx) and see if they pack with ice. Esp. if you live in a hot climate. You may be able to ask for ice.

drummerman · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2015, 02:27:24 pm »

Just talked to abbvie pharmacist on phone. She asked me how long I thought is was at 96 degrees. I guessed 6 hours. She said according to their stability studies, the medicine is fine. I then asked her what if it had been at 96 degrees for 20 hours , she checked her chart and said that it would be fine. I asked her what the extreme was time wise, and she wouldn't /couldn't tell me. She had to have "case by case" basis. I guess I could have just kept throwing times at her until I got to the one where it goes bad. She could not tell me how abbvie instructs online pharmacies to ship because that was not her dept. I wish now I had asked her to connect me to that dept.

I am going to assume the medicine is good, and hope everyone down the line kept at the proper storage temp. But kind of scary when you think about it.

dm

drummerman · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2015, 04:59:43 pm »

Just had another call from abbievie from a nurse.

She told me that it was fine and would have even been good if it had been 20 hours at 96.

I feel better.

And the abbvie people were super nice!

dm

Mr. Bob · « **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2015, 01:37:23 am »

unless I am mistaken you body temperature is 98.6 lol.......
that is one nasty medicine and it will handle stomach acid, hot coffee, salt, mustard, ketchup and onions.......... ......... think about it........
oh ho I see you was talking about Abbie I was referring to Harvoni.......... oooppps
RJ

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2015, 07:57:30 pm »

"the printed information on viekira says to store at 86 degrees or below."
Likewise for Harvoni. My first bottle sat on an un-air-conditioned UPS delivery truck for more than 12 hours! Fortunately, it was a cool day, but I reported it to my prescription plan's specialty pharmacy and said I was concerned about what would happen to my refills in normal summer temperatures. The CS person said that I could ask for ice and could request FedEx if I preferred. I made both requests, the refill sat on the FedEx truck for fewer than six hours, and it came in a ziploc bag surrounded by four ice packs, all of which were in a styrofoam cooler which precisely fit the outer carton. And I didn't pay a penny more!

Could the printed limit of <86 degrees be due to the in-house lawyers wanting to limit company liability by specifying an overly conservative upper limit?

Lynn K · « **Reply #6 on:** July 29, 2015, 09:44:08 pm »

The issue is store at temps if you at storing in your unairconditioned home in the southern U.S. In the summer. Temporally elevated temps are called an excursion so long as the exposure is transitory in nature it shouldn't be a problem but always best to do exactly what you did and contact the pharmacy and the drug manufacture

Good luck on treatment

Lynn

dragonslayer · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2015, 09:46:39 pm »

What kind of ice was used by Fedex? Isnt there an equal danger of storing it too cold? How does the ice keep from melting.. Did they use Dry Ice? That stuff is Really cold...

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2015, 03:59:34 am »

Gel packs, not dry ice. Most of the ice in the gel packs had melted prior to arrival. The specialty pharmacy packed the order, not FedEx.

The specialty pharmacy used overnight delivery both times. Looking at the tracking logs by UPS and FedEx, both packages were on planes for part of the time. What are the temperatures like in the holds of cargo planes? Lynn, would transitory below-room temperatures also be called an excursion?

I'm just curious, not worried. The reason I shared my experience was because of drummerman's comment, "I would encourage all to check with their supplier . . . and see if they pack with ice." We consumers have options; thanks to this thread, we now have a better sense about what they are and whether they are needed.

Lynn K · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2015, 05:02:01 am »

I did some reading about what is room temp per pharmacy guidelines several months ago one thing is do not refrigerate the meds moisture can be a factor and bearing that in mind the bathroom medicine cabinet is a lousy place to store meds.

I don't remember exactly if they used transitory or excursion but meaning of short duration and yes briefly too cold or too hot are ok to a point but in general dark dry and in appropriate temperature range storage is the goal anything else ask a pharmacist.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2015, 08:41:26 am »

Thanks, Lynn. I've learned a lot from the vast knowledge you've shared here and on the side effects thread. You've been through the mill; I sincerely hope "the fifth time's the charm" for you so that HCV will never again be detected in your blood.

Lynn K · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2015, 12:04:31 pm »

Just call my doctors office this morning

12 weeks HCV RNA by PCR
Not detected

I'M CURED!!!!!!!!!!!

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2015, 12:48:11 pm »

Hooray! I hope you'll post this welcome news to all the other threads you've been on.

dragonslayer · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2015, 03:18:14 pm »

Quote from: Lynn K on July 30, 2015, 12:04:31 pm

Just call my doctors office this morning

12 weeks HCV RNA by PCR
Not detected

I'M CURED!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!! So happy for you, Lynn...

Mike · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2015, 05:24:43 pm »

Lynn,

I am soooo happy for you!!!! ♪♫♪♫!!!

Here's a song for you:

https://youtu.be/DhlPAj38rHc

Enjoy you new life - you sure deserve it!

Best, best wishes, Mike

Redbird29 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2015, 07:27:25 pm »

Yaahhhh for you Lynn!!!! So happy for you!

Now if I can ask about storing Harvoni-they say do not store in bathrooms because of temp and humidity. Where I live we use 'swamp" or evaporative coolers. Keeps the house about 83 degrees with my bedroom about 80 degrees. However, because of the nature of the beast they can cause humidity - like right now when it we are having monsoons. I keep the bottle in my dresser, tightly closed - would this be a problem if it has the little gel pack in it?

Lynn K · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2015, 09:57:41 pm »

really guys I wouldn't worry about it too much just don't keep it in your sauna or jacuzzi your freezer or your fridge. or your bathroom.

My kitchen was good because we never cook lol

Hopeful123 · « **Reply #17 on:** August 08, 2015, 07:09:11 pm »

Yea, my order was really hot one time too. It is summer. I called the pharmacy and it has to be excessively hot for a longgg time like a month to cause damage to the meds. I'm hoping this is true, mine was shipped overnight but it was hot enough for me to question if it was too hot.. Like toasted bagel after it cools enough not to melt the cream cheese hot... Like warm coffee in foam cup hot:/...

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Author Topic: Just received 1st refill - too hot! (Read 13207 times)