Cold chain and medicine fridges
Keeping refrigerated medicines between 2 and 8°C, checking the fridges, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Version 1 · approved 23 Sept 2026 by Sam Nguyen
What this covers
Every medicine that must be kept refrigerated, including vaccines, and every fridge used to store them. Refrigerated medicines should be kept between 2°C and 8°C, aiming for 5°C.
Regulator guidance VPA Standard 2.4.2(b) · VPA Guidelines G2.4.3 · Strive for 5 (4th ed)
Which fridges we use
Medicine fridges should hold medicines only — no food, drink, specimens or anything else. Vaccines should be kept in a purpose-built vaccine refrigerator. Domestic, bar or general commercial fridges should never be used for vaccines. A vaccine fridge outside the dispensary should be kept locked when not in use. Fridges should sit out of direct sunlight with air space around them as the manufacturer specifies, and vaccine fridges should be serviced every 12 months.
Regulator guidance VPA Standard 2.4.2(b) · VPA Guidelines G2.4.3 · Strive for 5 (4th ed)
Continuous temperature logging
Every medicine fridge should have a data logger recording at least every 5 minutes, connected so it alerts staff to a fault when the pharmacy is closed. The logger data should be downloaded and reviewed at least once a week, and any excursion investigated.
Regulator guidance VPA Guidelines G2.4.3 · VPA self-audit 2.5.1.3 · Strive for 5 (4th ed)
Twice-daily temperature check
Twice each trading day — at opening and at close — each fridge's minimum, maximum and current temperature should be recorded. The thermometer or logger display should be reset after each reading. The actual numbers should be recorded. A tick is not a record. Any reading outside 2–8°C is handled under "When the temperature goes out of range".
Regulator guidance VPA Guidelines G2.4.11 (note) · Strive for 5 (4th ed)
What counts as out of range
Any temperature below 2°C or above 8°C is a cold chain breach. The only exception is a single brief rise to no more than 12°C lasting less than 15 minutes, for example while restocking. If you are not sure, treat it as a breach.
Regulator guidance Strive for 5 (4th ed) · Victorian cold chain management protocols
When the temperature goes out of range
1. Do not use or supply anything from the affected fridge. 2. Keep the stock refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C — if the fridge itself has failed, move it to the backup fridge. Backup fridge: not yet recorded. 3. Label the stock "Do not use — do not discard". Do not throw anything away. 4. Tell the pharmacist in charge straight away. 5. Record the minimum and maximum temperatures reached and how long the excursion lasted, using the logger data. 6. Government-funded vaccines: report the breach to the Victorian Department of Health as soon as possible, by emailing the cold chain breach report form and logger data to immunisation@health.vic.gov.au. Follow their advice before using or discarding anything. 7. Privately bought vaccines: contact the manufacturer for advice. 8. Other medicines: the pharmacist assesses each product against its product information or the manufacturer's advice before any of it is supplied. 9. Log it as an incident, including what caused it and what was done to stop it happening again.
Regulator guidance Strive for 5 (4th ed) · Victorian cold chain management protocols · VPA Guidelines G1.5.2
Receiving refrigerated stock
Refrigerated lines should be put into a medicine fridge as soon as the delivery arrives, in their original packaging. Any temperature indicator in the delivery should be checked. If it shows the stock has been out of range, or you can't tell, keep the stock refrigerated, label it "Do not use — do not discard", and tell the pharmacist.
Regulator guidance VPA Guidelines G2.4.3 · Strive for 5 (4th ed)
Power failure
Keep the fridge door closed and keep watching the temperature. If the temperature approaches 8°C, move the stock to alternative cold storage that holds 2–8°C and keep monitoring it. Record the times and temperatures. If anything went outside 2–8°C, follow "When the temperature goes out of range".
Regulator guidance Strive for 5 (4th ed)
Supplying refrigerated medicines
The patient or their agent should be told that the medicine needs to be refrigerated, and the label should say so.
Regulator guidance VPA Guidelines G2.4.3
Room temperature storage
All areas where medicines are stored should be kept at or below 25°C by thermostatically controlled air conditioning, including overnight and when the pharmacy is closed.
Regulator guidance VPA Standard 2.4.3 · VPA Guidelines G2.4.3
Keeping the records
Temperature records, logger downloads, breach reports and fridge service records are kept for 5 years.
Pharmacy's own choice VPA Guidelines G2.5.5
Checks that go with this policy
- Dispensary fridge 2 — Download and review fridge logger data — Weekly
- Dispensary fridge 2 — Fridge service — Yearly
- Dispensary fridge 2 — Fridge temperature — min / max / current — Twice daily
- Vaccine fridge — Download and review fridge logger data — Weekly
- Vaccine fridge — Fridge service — Yearly
- Vaccine fridge — Fridge temperature — min / max / current — Twice daily
- Vaccine storage self-audit — Every 6 months
PharmPolicy supports compliance. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the licensee's own judgement or obligations under the Pharmacy Regulation Act 2010 and other laws.