PHOENIX — The Phoenix area has now seen months of temperatures over 100 degrees, and we're currently in the middle of a weeklong stretch of 110+ days. With millions of people relying on mail-order pharmacies, how safe is it to let your medications sit in the hot mailbox?
"Medications typically want to be stored between 60 degrees and about the mid-80s," Dr. Brian Kuhn, a pharmacist with Banner Health, said.
But that's not the temperature many medications see in transit sitting in hot trucks or even hotter mailboxes.
"We don't expect that those medications degrade into toxic or potentially harmful substances," Kuhn said.
But if some degradation does happen, it will most likely affect the potency of the medications, which could change its effectiveness, Kuhn explained.
The level to which that might happen is unknown, Kuhn said, because it just hasn't been studied.
"Liquids certainly could concentrate more if there's a water component," Kuhn said. "And if the vial or container explodes, or what have you, then you've got another issue on your hand."
Kuhn said for the most part, pills and tablets shouldn't be that affected by heat. But liquids and injectable medications, like insulin, Semaglutide and EpiPens, might be.
Some mail-order pharmacies say they have weather-proof packaging. But Kuhn said you can also have them send medications to an office or somewhere that it will be signed for and brought into the air conditioning.
His best advice is to contact the pharmacy that's shipping your medication and make sure they know where you are and what the weather is, and ask about what protections they take.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Heat Beat
Here are several videos about Arizona's extreme heat and how you can stay safe during the state's summer months.