If you wish to report an adverse event or product complaint, please call 1-800-LILLYRX (1-800-545-5979)
Forteo ® (teriparatide injection)
20-mcg daily dose in a 2.4-mL prefilled delivery device
This information is provided in response to your request. Resources may contain information about doses, uses, formulations and populations different from product labeling. See Prescribing Information above, if applicable.
FORTEO® (teriparatide [rDNA origin] injection): Use While Traveling
Forteo (teriparatide) should be stored in the refrigerator at all times. The total travel time allowed per device outside refrigeration is 36 hours provided the temperature that the teriparatide is exposed to during travel does not exceed 77°F or 25°C.
Detailed Information
General Guidance
Teriparatide should be stored in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) at all times except when administering the product. Do not expose it to freezing temperatures.1
When you travel, it may be convenient to keep the teriparatide device and needles in the padded bag provided with the teriparatide starter kit. It is pertinent to note that you
- do not store the bag itself in the freezer or refrigerator, and
- do not store the teriparatide device in, for example, the trunk of a car when driving or in the luggage area of a plane where it can become too hot or too cold.2
The 36-Hour Travel Allowance
The total (cumulative) travel time allowed per device outside refrigeration is 36 hours as long as the temperature that the teriparatide is exposed to during travel does not exceed 77°F or 25°C (room temperature).2
The 36 hours
- excludes the time outside refrigeration when taking a dose
- applies to in-use and unused teriparatide devices, and
- may be split into different periods as long as the cumulative travel time is not more than 36 hours.2
If your travels by chance lasted longer than 36 hours or if teriparatide was exposed to temperatures above 77°F (25°C) at any time during the travel, please call the Lilly Call Center at 1-800-545-5979. Lilly can assess if the teriparatide can still be used.2
Return the teriparatide delivery device to refrigeration as soon as possible upon arriving at your travel destination.2
Travel by Air
A little advanced planning is needed when you travel by air with teriparatide. Before you travel, make sure you have a copy of your teriparatide prescription label. You may be asked to verify that the teriparatide delivery device and needles belong to you.2,3
The needles must be sealed. Some airlines may not allow you to bring unsealed needles onto an airplane.2
Take the teriparatide with you onto the airplane as a carry-on. The temperature in the checked luggage area is not always controlled and may become too hot or cold.2
The teriparatide device can be passed through the x-ray screening equipment at airports. A study demonstrated that x-ray radiation from screening equipment used in airport scanners did not impact the physical or chemical properties of teriparatide.2
Enclosed Prescribing Information
References
1Forteo [package insert]. Indianapolis, IN: Eli Lilly and Company; 2020.
2Data on file, Eli Lilly and Company and/or one of its subsidiaries.
3Disabilities and Medical Conditions. Transportation Security Administration. Accessed February 5, 2021. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/special-procedures
Glossary
Lilly = Eli Lilly and Company
Date of Last Review: February 04, 2021