WOMEN AND NEWBORN HEALTH SERVICE
King Edward Memorial Hospital
( P 2.4.2)
Page 1 of 3
STORAGE AND LABELLING OF INSULIN: INSULIN CARTRIDGE
AND PEN INJECTION DEVICES
PURPOSE
•
To ensure appropriate storage of inpatient’s prescribed insulin to guarantee efficacy of the
medication is maintained.
•
To provide a clear and consistent guideline to all wards to ensure inpatient’s insulin is stored
correctly
Key Point
•
Medications must be stored and administered in accordance with the manufacturer’s and
pharmacist’s recommendations regarding temperature, exposure to light and expiry dates.
BACKGROUND
Cold chain
supply ensures refrigerated medicines are stored at the World Health Organisation
recommended temperature of between 2 and 8 degrees. Any breach in the cold chain can potentially
result in chemical and or physical changes to the medication which may lead to a loss of efficacy and
alter patient response and potentially cause harm to patients. In the event of a cold chain breach,
medications must be discarded. It is essential that the pharmacy and wards involved in the handling of
refrigerated medications for patient use maintain optimal conditions to provide a quality product to the
patient.
PROCEDURE
Storing Insulin for an Inpatient
•
Before use, keep the unopened insulin in a refrigerator where the temperature is between 2-
8°C. Do not allow it to freeze. Discard if frozen.
•
Once in use, the insulin should be kept in the refrigerator on obstetric wards or below 25°C in
the patient drawer in all other wards.
•
Discard the insulin within 28 days of first use.
•
If the insulin is to be stored in the patient’s drawer write the date it is to be discarded on the
addressograph label.
•
Do not leave it near heat or in direct light.
MEDICATION SAFETY
CLINICAL GUIDELINES
P
HARMACY AND MEDICATIONS
Patient is admitted to ward
and prescribed insulin
Did they bring their
own insulin into
hospital?
Yes
No
Are there storage concerns?
●
Are there any visible particles?
●
Has it been exposed to
temperatures >25°C or < 2°C?
●
Has it been in use for longer than
28 days?
Yes
●
Discard the insulin
and provide a
replacement
Is the insulin on
imprest?
Yes
No
Use Ward stock
Send chart
down to
pharmacy
No
Use Patients own
insulin
Label
Label each insulin pen in
use with patient’s
addressograph sticker
Expiry & Storage
•
On the addressograph, write the discard date of the
insulin (28 days after it was first opened).
•
Store in patient locked medication cupboard/drawers at
room temperature (<25°)
OR Store in the ward medicine
refrigerator.
If opening date is
not known
STORAGE AND LABELLING OF INSULIN
CLINICAL GUIDELINES
P
HARMACY AND MEDICATIONS
( P 2.4.2)
Do not keep printed versions of guidelines as currency of information cannot be guaranteed.
Access the current version from the WNHS website
REFERENCES ( STANDARDS)
Queensland Health (AU) Guideline for the Storage, Transportation and Handling of
Refrigerated Medicines, Vaccines, and Blood in Queensland Health
Facilities [Internet]. Brisbane, QLD (Australia): Queensland Government (AU); 2008 [updated 2011 Apr 19; cited
2014 Jan 31]. Available from:
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/immunisation/documents/guide-vaccine-storage.pdf
National Standards – 4.3 The Clinical Workforce is supported for the prescribing, dispensing, administering, storing,
manufacturing, compounding and monitoring of medicines
Legislation - Nil
Related Policies - Nil
Other related documents – Nil
RESPONSIBILITY
Policy Sponsor
HOD Pharmacy
Initial Endorsement
April 2014
Last Reviewed
Last Amended
Review date
April 2017
( P 2.4.2)