There is no single storage rule for IVF medicines. Each product's label sets its own rule for before you open it, after you first use or mix it, and when to throw it away, so the label for your exact product is the one to follow.

Storage advice belongs to the exact product, version and country of the label. Two medicines with the same active ingredient can come in different forms with different rules, and a label from another country may differ from the U.S. one. If your clinic's instructions differ from what you read here, follow your clinic.

IVF medication storage: what eight U.S. labels say

The table below sums up the storage section of current U.S. labels on DailyMed, the National Library of Medicine's drug label site. They are examples, not your instructions. Check the leaflet in your own box, and the date printed on it, because labels get updated.

Exact product Before opening or mixing After first use or mixing Throw away Label date
MENOPUR (menotropins) powder vials Fridge or room temperature, 37°F to 77°F (3°C to 25°C). Protect from light. Use right after mixing. Any unused MENOPUR 5/2018
GONAL-f RFF Redi-ject pen (follitropin alfa) In the carton: fridge, 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C), until the expiration date; or room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C), for up to 3 months or until the expiration date, whichever comes first. Do not freeze. Fridge, 36°F to 46°F, or room temperature, 68°F to 77°F, with the cap on, away from light. Do not freeze. 28 days after first use 3/2025
FOLLISTIM AQ Cartridge (follitropin beta) Fridge, 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C), until the expiration date; or room temperature up to 77°F (25°C) for 3 months or until the expiration date, whichever comes first. Do not freeze. Fridge or room temperature, 36°F to 77°F (2°C to 25°C). Keep in the carton. Do not freeze. 28 days after first use 2/2026
Cetrotide 0.25 mg (cetrorelix) Fridge, 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). Tray in the outer carton, away from light. Use right after mixing. After the expiration date on the carton 7/2025
Ganirelix Acetate Injection, Organon prefilled syringe 77°F (25°C); short spells between 59°F and 86°F (15°C and 30°C) allowed. Protect from light. One-time use. The unused portion 9/2026
Ovidrel PreFilled Syringe (choriogonadotropin alfa) Fridge, 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C), until the expiry date; or room temperature up to 77°F (25°C) for no more than 30 days. Protect from light. One-time use. Unused medicine; at room temperature, use within 30 days 6/2018
Novarel (chorionic gonadotropin) vials Room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C); short spells between 59°F and 86°F allowed. Refrigerate at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). Use within 30 days of mixing 5/2023
ENDOMETRIN (progesterone) vaginal insert Room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). Not applicable. Not stated in the storage section 7/2026

Notice how different they are. Some go in the fridge, some stay at room temperature, and some can do either. GONAL-f RFF Redi-ject and FOLLISTIM AQ Cartridge each have a 28-day limit once you start them. Ganirelix shows why the exact product matters: other companies make ganirelix too, and each label sets its own rules.

Two dates to write on pens and vials

Some products have two separate clocks, so write both dates on the box with a marker:

  • The room-temperature date. For example, the GONAL-f RFF Redi-ject label allows an unused pen at room temperature for up to 3 months or until its expiration date, whichever comes first.
  • The first-use or mixing date. That same label gives 28 days after first use. A mixed Novarel vial has 30 days in the fridge.

IVF medication storage ideas for home

  • Keep each medicine in its own box. Several of the labels above say to protect the medicine from light in its carton or tray.
  • Give each storage need its own spot. Medicines can need different temperatures, so use one labeled bin in the fridge and one labeled box for room-temperature medicines, away from the stove and sunny windows.
  • Check expiration dates when you unpack your order.
  • Store every medicine out of reach of children, as the labels say.

If a medicine got too hot, froze or sat out too long

Before you call, write down:

  • The exact product name and strength.
  • About how hot or cold it got.
  • About how long it stayed that way.
  • Whether it was opened, mixed or already started.

Extreme heat or cold can make many medicines work less well. Some labels, including GONAL-f RFF Redi-ject and FOLLISTIM AQ Cartridge, list a phone number to call for more information.

Getting rid of needles safely

Used needles, pens and syringes are called sharps. Put each one in a sharps disposal container right after you use it. When the container is about three-quarters full, get rid of it the way your community's rules say. Don't reuse the container, and keep it out of reach of children and pets.

Rules differ by where you live. Your local trash service or health department can tell you your options, such as drop-off sites or mail-back programs. Safe Needle Disposal can also help at 1-800-643-1643.

Traveling with IVF medications

Talk with your clinic before you book a trip, so the trip fits your dose times and monitoring visits. Then plan for these four things:

  • A written schedule for the new time zone. Ask your clinic how to time each dose, and write the times down in both your home time and the local time.
  • Cold storage at your destination. Check whether each medicine needs the fridge, and make sure you will have one where you stay.
  • Delays. Bring enough for the whole trip, plus extra in case of delays. Pack medicines in your carry-on in case your luggage is lost or delayed.
  • Replacements. Ask your clinic what to do if a medicine is lost or damaged. Buying medicine abroad carries a risk of fakes in some countries.

Keep medicines in their original, labeled boxes, and bring copies of your prescriptions. Ask your prescriber for a note for injectable medicines.

Going to another country? Each country has its own laws about medicines. Check with the embassy of each country you will visit or pass through to make sure your medicines are allowed.

Flying with IVF meds: TSA screening in the U.S.

The rules below are U.S. airport screening guidance from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). They cover getting through a U.S. checkpoint. They do not mean another country allows the medicine in.

  • Tell the officer first. Before screening starts, say that you have medically necessary liquids or medicines.
  • Use a separate bin for your medicines, freezer packs and syringes.
  • Liquids can go over the usual limit in reasonable amounts for your flight, but you must declare them.
  • Ice packs are allowed. They can be frozen, partly frozen or melted. They will be screened.
  • Unused syringes are allowed when they travel with injectable medicine. You must declare them.
  • Labels help. TSA recommends, but does not require, that medicines be labeled.
  • You can ask about X-ray. Tell the officer if you do not want your liquid medicine X-rayed or opened. You will then get extra screening.

The final decision on any item rests with the TSA officer. A small travel-size sharps container and a letter from your doctor can also help.

Your IVF medication travel bag checklist

  • Every medicine for the trip, plus extra, in its original box
  • A cooler bag and ice packs for medicines whose label says to keep them cold
  • Package inserts, or photos of them
  • Unused needles, syringes and alcohol pads
  • A travel-size sharps container
  • Copies of prescriptions and a note from your clinic
  • Your dose schedule in home time and local time
  • Your clinic's phone and after-hours numbers

Key takeaway

Follow the label for your exact product, and write the room-temperature date and first-use date on each box. When you travel, plan for time zones, a fridge, delays and replacements, and remember that TSA rules cover U.S. screening only.