Does Wegovy Expire?
Does Wegovy expire? Yes, and there are two clocks running. The printed expiration date on the carton is one. The other is a 28-day limit on time spent out of the refrigerator, and it can end a pen's life long before the printed date does.
Two dates, and the earlier one wins
Novo Nordisk's guidance is refrigeration at 36–46°F (2–8°C), with the pen kept in its original carton. Before the cap comes off, it can be held at 46–86°F (8–30°C) for up to 28 days.
The carton is not packaging you can discard. Wegovy has to be protected from light, and the carton is how that is done — a pen stored bare in a drawer has not been stored correctly even if the temperature was right the whole time.
Can you use expired Wegovy?
No. Past its expiration date, the amount of active semaglutide is no longer guaranteed, and the failure mode is not dramatic — it is a dose that quietly does less than it should. There is no way to tell by looking, and no way to test it at home. If it is out of date, it is out of use.
What happens if Wegovy freezes?
Discard it, even if it looks completely normal. Freezing damages the medication in ways that leave no visible trace, so a pen that appears perfect can be inactive. Wegovy should never be frozen at any point, and the most common cause is not a freezer but the back wall of an ordinary fridge, which runs colder than the shelves.
How long can Wegovy be left out of the fridge?
Up to 28 days at 46–86°F (8–30°C) before the cap is removed, kept in its carton. That is a longer allowance than most GLP-1 medications get — Zepbound is 21 days and Trulicity is 14 — which is worth knowing if you handle more than one. Beyond 28 days, or above 86°F at any point, it should be discarded.
Does Wegovy have to be refrigerated the whole time?
Refrigeration is the default and the safest answer, but it is not the only permitted condition — the 28-day allowance exists precisely so that travel and a broken fridge are not automatic write-offs. What is not permitted is exceeding 86°F, freezing at any point, or losing track of the total time out.
My Wegovy is out of date or was stored wrong. Is it just a loss?
Not necessarily, and it is worth asking before it goes in the bin. Prescription medication is assessed case by case rather than priced off a list — the drug, the strength, the pack count, the date and the storage history all bear on it, and a person makes that call after seeing photos. A pen that has been out of temperature is a much weaker case than one that has not, and we will tell you that straight rather than let you make a trip for nothing.
GLP-1 storage and refrigeration: the windows are not the same
Assuming one GLP-1's refrigeration rule applies to another is a common and expensive mistake — the allowances differ, and so does whether a pen may go back in the fridge.
| Medication | Out of the fridge | Can it go back in? |
|---|---|---|
| Trulicity | 14 days | Yes — the 14 days are cumulative |
| Zepbound | 21 days | No — once out, keep it out |
| Wegovy | 28 days | Before the cap comes off, in its carton |
All three are limited to 86°F (30°C), and none of them may be frozen at any point. Figures are the manufacturers' own — see Sources below.
Why we ask how yours was stored
Refrigeration is the first question on every call about medication, before the date and before the brand. A pen that has been through a hot car or a freeze is worth nothing to anyone, and nobody further down the line can verify it by looking — which is exactly why the storage history has to come from you.
Prescription medication is case by case and never priced from a list. If yours has been kept properly and is still in date, it is worth asking about. If it has not, we will say so before you go to any trouble. Sealed, in-date test strips and CGM sensors are more straightforward, and the same temperature rules apply to those.
The other two
General information, not medical advice. Storage guidance varies by product and by manufacturer, and changes — check the leaflet that came with yours, and ask your pharmacist about anything you are unsure of. Never inject medication you believe may have been frozen or overheated.