5 Common Mistakes When Traveling with Chilled Medications

Traveling with medicines that need to be kept cool requires extra preparation. Whether you are going on holiday or on a business trip, you want to be sure that your medication remains effective while on the road. Unfortunately, mistakes are often made when transporting cooled medicines. In this article, we list the five most common mistakes for you. This way, you know what to look out for and how to be well prepared when you go on the road.

1. Using the wrong cooler bag

One of the biggest mistakes people make is using an unsuitable cooler bag. Not every bag that looks cool is actually suitable for transporting medication. A regular lunch bag or cooler bag meant for food and drinks usually does not provide the right insulation or constant temperature needed to keep medication safe. This is especially a risk on long journeys or in high temperatures.

For medicines such as insulin or rheumatoid medication, it is important that the temperature remains within a certain range. If it gets too hot or too cold, the effect of the medicine may be reduced.

That is why it is wise to choose a cool bag or cool box that is specially developed for medical purposes. There are passive cool bags with cooling elements, but also active cooling solutions such as electric cool boxes that you can connect to the mains or a power bank.

2. Not taking the ambient temperature into account

Another common mistake is underestimating the ambient temperature. In the Netherlands it is often not extremely warm, but if you travel to a warm country or are on the road a lot in the sun, the temperature can quickly rise. In a car or trunk it caneven exceed 40 degrees .

Even the best cool bag has a certain limit. If the outside temperature is high and your cool bag is on the road for a long time, the risk of the contents becoming too warm increases. Therefore, think carefully about your destination and the conditions in which you are travelling.

If you are going to a tropical country, you need a cooling solution that is tailored to this. For example, choose a bag with a longer cooling time or one that you can charge in between or fill with new cooling elements.

3. Do not perform a temperature measurement

Many people trust that their medication will stay cool in their bag, but they don't check this. This is understandable, but also risky. You don't always notice immediately if the temperature has been too high, while this can have consequences for the effectiveness of your medication. Especially during longer journeys or flights, it is wise to keep an eye on the temperature and measure the temperature of your medication cool bags .

A solution to this is to use a thermometer or data logger. This allows you to easily check whether the temperature in your bag remains within safe limits.

Some thermometers give a signal when the temperature deviates, others store the temperature data so that you can check afterwards whether everything went well. This gives extra security, especially if your medication is of vital importance.

4. Packing medicines in checked baggage

It may seem like a good idea to pack your medication in your hold luggage during your flight, especially if you are only allowed one piece of hand luggage. However, this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when traveling with refrigerated medication . Temperatures in the hold of an airplane can drop or fluctuate significantly. In addition, you will not have access to it during the flight.

If you need medication during your trip or if you are delayed, you could be in trouble. In addition, you are not sure how long your luggage will be in transit or how it will be handled.

Therefore, always put your cooled medicines in your hand luggage. Make sure you have a medical certificate from your doctor and possibly also take a copy of your prescription with you. This way you avoid problems at customs or during security checks.

5. Not having a backup plan

What if your cooler breaks, the cooling elements are thawed or you are unexpectedly delayed? Many travellers do not have a backup plan. This means that they are dependent on a single cooling system, while travelling is often unpredictable. Think of long waiting times at airports, traffic jams on the road or losing luggage.

It is therefore smart to think about a plan B. For example, take extra cooling elements with you or choose a cooling system with charger that you can charge via a USB connection or mains power. Also make sure you know where you can freeze new cooling elements at the airport or on the way. A cool bag that you can reactivate or refill on the way gives you much more flexibility.

Before you travel, it is always wise to consult with your pharmacist or treating physician. They can advise you on the storage temperature of your medicines, how long they can be kept outside the refrigerator and what travel declaration you may need. In some cases, they can also help you with spare parts for on the road.

Well prepared for your trip with Medicooler

At Medicooler we help people who need to transport medicines cool every day. Whether you are going on holiday, on a long journey or are regularly on the road for work, we have solutions that are tailored to medical needs. From compact cool bags to advanced electric cool boxes.

Want to make sure you are well prepared for your trip with your medication? Check out our products and tips on Medicooler.nl or contact us for personal advice.