Left My Birth Control In A Hot Car
In this article, we answer a reader's question regarding what to do after leaving birth control medication in a hot car.
Hi, I am on the Yasmin contraceptive pill. I have stored my pill in my car for the last two days in a makeup bag. Temperatures outside have reached 30 degrees Celsius. This is the start of a new pack as I had just finished the white sugar tablets. I have taken the pill as normal for the last two days (the first two days of light yellow tablets) and haven't noticed any physical changes to the pill. I have also been sexually active during this time and am now concerned the effectiveness of the pill may have been compromised. What should I do?
Jun 06, 2022- Birth control pills left in a hot car may have lost some potency since car temperatures typically exceed the manufacturer's recommended storage range, though short-term heat exposure usually causes minimal damage to solid tablets. If you're concerned about whether your pills were affected, you can use a backup birth control method or contact your doctor for guidance on whether to start a new pack.
Thanks for reaching out to us! Storing a prescription medication (such as Yasmin) outside of the manufacturer's recommended storage conditions can be problematic, but if you left it in a hot car for only a short amount of time, it's unlikely it wasn't affected in any significant way.
Nevertheless, let's talk about what can happen if a prescription medication is stored outside the recommended conditions. It is certainly possible that I drug could:
- Become less stable (i.e. the actual drug or dosage form could degrade)
- Become less potent, leading to therapeutic failure
With birth control pills, we are especially concerned about a potential loss in therapeutic effect.
How Should Yasmin Be Stored?
First, how should Yasmin be stored?
Per the manufacturer, Yasmin must be stored as follows:
- Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15-30°C (59-86°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].
Unless a birth control product is supposed to be stored in the refrigerator (e.g. Nuvaring), these storage conditions are generally consistent for all birth control products.
Left In A Hot Car
From your question, you say the medication was left in a car at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
That is right at the end of the "excursion" range given by the manufacturer (an excursion is defined as removal from the set storage conditions for no longer than 24 hours).
The problem with your situation is that the medication was left in a car.
More likely than not, the temperature in the car was much higher than the temperature outside, putting the medication well outside the storage range.
Due to this, it is hard to know the exact state of your medication and give you a good recommendation on exactly what you should do in this situation.
On the whole, it is unlikely they are affected in a significant way. The problem is, we just don't know for sure.
It is important to note though, that when it comes to non-refrigerated solid oral dosage forms such as tablets or capsules, storage conditions are set with more concern for the integrity of the actual product (e.g. capsules melting) rather than a loss of stability to the actual drug.
In fact, many studies on stability have shown that most products that experience temperature excursions for a short period of time will be minimally affected and will still provide a therapeutic benefit.
This is especially true of medications that are not refrigerated.
If your medication was affected by the temperature, we may expect a loss in potency and for you to experience certain side effects such as spotting and bleeding as a result.
The fact that you are not is a good sign.
Final Words
There is some ambiguity in the situation and we just don't know the state of your birth control.
It, more likely than not, is not affected to the point where it will have a noticeable loss of therapeutic effect.
For peace of mind, however, you may want to use a backup birth control method, take emergency contraception or talk to your doctor about starting a new pack of birth control pills.
Your doctor may also give you a recommendation on your best course of action.
References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Prescription medication
- A drug that can only be obtained with a written order from a doctor.
- Dosage form
- The physical shape and type of a medication, such as a tablet, capsule, or liquid.
- Potent
- Having strong or effective power; in medication, referring to how strong the drug's effect is.
- Therapeutic effect
- The intended beneficial result or improvement in health that a medication is supposed to produce.
- Excursion
- A temporary departure from the recommended storage conditions lasting no longer than 24 hours.
- Oral dosage forms
- Medications taken by mouth, such as tablets or capsules.
- Stability
- The ability of a medication to maintain its chemical composition and effectiveness over time.
- Potency
- The strength or concentration of the active ingredient in a medication.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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