Pharmacy · Guide

Medicine fridge monitoring: temperatures and records for pharmacies.

By Frigo · Updated: October 2026

If you store medicines, you must be able to show they stayed within the prescribed temperature range. This guide shows for Austria, Germany and Switzerland which ranges apply, what regulations and inspections ask for and where a spot check leaves gaps. Pick your country and you see only what applies to you.

In short

Everywhere: room temperature 15 to 25 °C, fridge 2 to 8 °C, frozen below −18 °C. The storage condition is set by the manufacturer.
Austria: the pharmacy operating ordinance requires storage that does not adversely affect quality. The original version names no fixed measuring intervals.
Germany: storage below 25 °C must be possible, the storage notes of the pharmacopoeia must be observed, and cold storage must be documented.
Switzerland: cantonal inspections check calibrated measuring devices in every store, fridge included, and a demonstrably maintained range of 2 to 8 °C.
The same everywhere: between two checks there is a gap, and that is where failures happen.

Who this guide is for

Public pharmacies and branches with a fridge and a storeroom
Hospital and care-home pharmacies and doctors' practices with a medicine store (for vaccines in a practice, see vaccine storage)
Labs and dispensing points with refrigerated medicines

Which temperature ranges apply?

Three ranges are distinguished for storage and transport. The storage conditions are set by the manufacturer and stated on the pack and in the leaflet.

Range	Value
Room temperature	15 to 25 °C, up to 30 °C where specifically noted
Fridge	2 to 8 °C
Frozen	below −18 °C

Cold-chain medicines must stay within the prescribed range without interruption across the whole supply chain. Medicines that need refrigeration generally must not freeze, because they can lose their effect.

Austria: pharmacy operating ordinance and pharmacopoeia

What the ordinance says

The pharmacy operating ordinance 2005 (ABO 2005, BGBl. II No. 65/2005) requires in § 5 that medicines are stored so that their quality is not adversely affected and mix-ups are avoided. The original 2005 version names no specific temperature values or fixed measuring intervals.

Where the figures come from

Under § 5 para. 5 ABO 2005, storage follows the storage conditions set in the pharmacopoeia or in other medicines-law provisions. Where none are set, conditions in line with the state of science apply. For the fridge this means 2 to 8 °C in practice. How often you check and how you document is set by your quality management. Check the current version of the ordinance in the federal legal information system and ask the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists if in doubt.

Germany: ApBetrO and pharmacopoeia

What the ordinance requires

§ 4 para. 2d: the storeroom must allow storage below 25 °C.
§ 4 para. 2d: if medicines are delivered outside opening hours, the required storage temperatures must be ensured at all times.
§ 16 para. 1: medicines must be stored so that their quality is not adversely affected. The storage notes of the pharmacopoeia must be observed.
Documentation: cold storage must be documented. The ABDA names §§ 2a, 4 and 16 ApBetrO as the basis.

Measuring and documenting

As an example, the ABDA names a min-max thermometer whose minimum and maximum are read and noted daily, or temperature loggers that store readings. For shipping medicines that need refrigeration or a cold chain, § 35c para. 3 ApBetrO requires suitable cooling systems and, where necessary, proof through temperature checks carried along.

Switzerland: cantonal inspection

Who checks

Public pharmacies are supervised by the cantons. As an example, the inspection protocol of the canton of Solothurn (version 1.0, 22 July 2026) shows what is checked. It refers to position paper PP KAV CH 0024 of the Swiss association of cantonal pharmacists. Other cantons have their own protocols.

What is checked

calibrated temperature measuring devices in every medicine store, fridge included (min-max thermometer or data logger)
complete log sheets and the frequency of reading and documentation, separately for room temperature and fridge
correctly documented readings and alarms
room temperature 15 to 25 °C and fridge temperature 2 to 8 °C demonstrably maintained
appropriate measures on deviations and assessment by the responsible pharmacist
calibration certificate or comparison with a calibrated thermometer, plus a work instruction

The fridge itself

The protocol checks whether a pharmaceutical fridge to DIN 13277 or a qualified household fridge is used. Qualified means it is known where which temperature prevails, verified with a calibrated thermometer and documented. No medicines may be kept at spots that do not reach the range. Fill level, food in the fridge and icing are also checked.

Do you know how warm your fridge was last night?

Get your setup →

Where a spot check leaves gaps

Night and weekend. The morning reading does not tell you what happened in between.
Power cut or open door. A 40-minute deviation shows up in no daily reading.
Delivery outside opening hours. In Germany the storage temperature must be ensured at all times even then.
The min-max thermometer. It shows that a value was exceeded, but not when or for how long.

What a sensor adds

A sensor measures around the clock, notifies the people you choose as soon as a value leaves its limit, and writes every reading and every deviation with start, end and duration into a continuous record. You close the gap between two checks and have the record automatically.

Important: Frigo measures the temperature at the sensor's location, for example the air in the fridge, not the temperature of the medicine itself. It supports monitoring and documentation. It is not a certification and does not replace the qualification of the fridge, the assessment by the responsible person or an official inspection.

How the system is built is explained in How does Frigo work?.

Four things to define for each unit

the target range, for example 2 to 8 °C in the fridge and 15 to 25 °C in the storeroom
the limit at which an alert is triggered
who is notified, including nights and weekends
who assesses and documents a deviation

Frequently asked questions

Which temperature applies to medicines in the fridge?

Medicines that need refrigeration are stored at 2 to 8 °C. At room temperature the range is 15 to 25 °C, up to 30 °C where specifically noted. The manufacturer's information on the pack always governs.

How often must fridge temperature be checked?

The texts checked name no fixed interval. In Germany cold storage must be documented, and the ABDA names a daily reading of a min-max thermometer as an example. In Switzerland the cantons check the frequency of reading and documentation. In Austria the original version of the ABO 2005 names no interval.

Is a min-max thermometer enough?

It is named as a means, but it only shows the lowest and highest value. A data logger or sensor shows the curve, and with it when and for how long a value was outside the range.

Does the measuring device have to be calibrated?

The inspection protocol of the canton of Solothurn asks for calibrated measuring devices and for a calibration certificate or a comparison with a calibrated thermometer. Before buying a sensor, ask for its measurement accuracy details.

Does Frigo measure the temperature of the medicine?

No. Frigo measures the temperature at the sensor's location, for example the air in the fridge. It does not record the temperature inside the medicine itself.

Does Frigo replace documentation or an inspection?

No. Frigo supports monitoring and documentation through measurement, alerts and automatic records. It is not a certification and does not replace an official inspection.

Sources

Your fridge in view

See every deviation before it becomes a problem, and have the record automatically.

Go to Pharmacy & healthcare →

This article is guidance, not legal advice. The applicable regulations and the requirements of the competent authority are binding. It does not replace the manufacturer's prescribing information or professional advice. Temperature monitoring does not replace the responsibility of the responsible person or an official inspection. Alerts require a working connection. During a power cut the connectivity unit keeps running on its built-in battery for about four hours, after that Frigo reports that the connectivity unit has stopped sending data. Sources as of October 2026.