Best Mini Fridge for Medication

Medical refrigerators are often used in large facilities to house significant amounts of medicine. However, some situations only require a small amount of storage for temperature sensitive medication like vaccines or insulin. This is when a mini fridge would be the preferred option. Whether storing temperature sensitive meds for personal use, travel, or medical purposes, there are a variety of mini fridges for medication available. We guide you through the variety of mini medical fridges, what they are used for and how to choose the best mini fridge for medication, considering capacity, cooling system and dimensions.

What is a Mini Fridge for Medication?

A mini fridge for medication is the same as a standard medical fridge but in a smaller version. The purpose of a mini medical fridge is for the cold storage of medications and vaccines on a smaller scale. Much like a standard sized medical fridge, a mini fridge needs to follow the National Vaccine Storage Guidelines to keep temperatures within the recommended range of 2°C to 8°C.

A mini fridge could be an under bench fridge, countertop fridge or portable fridge. They are used in:

• Personal use. Mini fridges are ideal for people who want to store medications at a consistent and safe temperature between 2°C and 8°C. Medications like insulin, migraine injectable medicines, growth hormones, TNF inhibitors for anti-inflammatory conditions, and chemotherapy drugs are temperature sensitive drugs that require strict refrigeration guidelines and will become less potent outside these conditions. Mini fridges can be portable for personal use, ranging in size from 4 litres to 60 litres. There are also more permanent mini fridges designed to fit in small spaces for homes or care facilities, that can fit under a bench or in any room with a power point.
• Travel. When travelling for holidays or work, it is important to have something that keeps temperature sensitive medications cold, so a portable mini fridge is the ideal answer. Portable mini fridges can be taken in the car, ships, and other road transportation. The Vacc-Safe 6 and 12 litre portable fridges are suitable for aircraft transportation as they have no compressor.
• Small clinic. Mini medical fridges are ideal for small clinics like doctor’s surgeries and mobile health clinics. Doctor’s fridges are used for critical supplies of vaccines, medications, insulin, biological products, diagnostic samples and chronic disease management medications. Small clinics don’t necessarily require a large standard medical fridge but will have a small number of temperature sensitive products that need appropriate refrigeration. A mini fridge in a small clinic is a compact and versatile option for the safe storage of medicines.  
• Vet. Vets need specialised medical equipment like fridges for storing vaccines and medications that require strict temperature regulation to treat animals. A mini medical fridge like a countertop fridge or under bench is suitable for a small veterinary clinic’s needs. 
• Cosmetic clinic. Cosmetic injectable refrigerators are one of the mini fridges necessary for a cosmetic clinic. They are available in 50 litre and 150 litre sizes and usually sit on a countertop. Non-invasive cosmetic procedures that use injectables must be stored between 2°C and 6°C, which can only be achieved in a dedicated medical fridge.
• Dental surgeries. Medical fridges are widely used in dental practices for the safe storage of temperature sensitive medications, vaccines and dental supplies. A small to medium sized dental practice may require a smaller storage capacity for medical supplies. Mini medication fridges are the best solution, with sizes ranging from 50 litres to 350 litres for a small to medium sized clinic.

Can Any Mini Fridges Be Used for Medication?

A small fridge may look similar to a mini medication fridge and both are designed to cool items, but there are substantial differences. Small domestic fridges are used to store food, drinks and even beauty and skincare, but they are not suitable for temperature sensitive medication. Any medication, vaccines or medical supplies that require strict temperature guidelines must be stored in a medical grade fridge.  

Domestic mini fridges are never suitable for the storage of temperature sensitive medications and vaccines as they cannot provide the strict temperature control that purpose built medical fridges provide. Storing medicines and vaccines in a normal mini fridge can lead to serious issues for both domestic and commercial use. These are the consequences of using this kind of mini fridge to store temperature sensitive medication.

• A breach of guidelines. Any business who uses a domestic fridge to store temperature sensitive medications will face serious consequences to the business and on any patient. Healthcare providers must provide safe and effective medication storage that complies with the relevant healthcare regulations and standards. It is imperative that the chosen fridge meets the requirements outlined by regulatory bodies. If not, the business is liable for infringement under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 and may incur significant fines and loss of business licence.

• Risk to medication effectiveness and safety. The personal use of temperature sensitive medications and vaccines stored in a domestic fridge is ill-advised. A medical fridge is designed to maintain the exact temperatures required to keep medicines and vaccines free from harm and spoiling. It has a refined temperature control system that ensures temperatures remain at the National vaccine storage guidelines. Without it, any temperature variation can cause certain medicines and vaccines to lose their effectiveness or become unsafe to use. 

Mini Fridges for Medication

A reliable and effective mini medical fridge is essential for storing temperature sensitive items for personal use, travel or business. Below are the three best mini fridges for medication, with their capacity, cooling systems and dimensions. 

Best Cosmetic Injectable Refrigerator

Vacc-Safe Cosmetic Injectables Refrigerator

The Vacc-Safe Cosmetic Injectables refrigerator is a purpose designed and built mini fridge for the safekeeping of cosmetic injectables that require storage temperatures between  2°C and 6°C. This medical fridge provides high precision temperature control which gives the utmost confidence goods are stored with precision. LBA foaming technology provides more effective insulation to improve performance and reduce energy consumption.

Capacity

BT42 – 50 Litre gross capacity

BT126 – 150 Litre gross capacity

Dimensions

BT42 –  External 480wX 450d X 550h (mm)

BT42 –  Internal 400w X 345d X 380h (mm)

BT126 –  External 595w X 615d X 810h (mm)

BT126 –  Internal  505w X 467d X 620h (mm)

Cooling system

2-6°C Temperature range

Additional features

Controller battery backup, lockable, LED display panel, USB data recorder.

Best Under Bench Refrigerator

Vacc-Safe Under Bench Refrigerator

The Underbench Refrigerator is suitable for storing vaccines, medicines and laboratory products between 2°C and 8°C in pharmacies, hospitals, medical clinics and laboratories. Available in 2 sizes, these medical fridges are small and compact, and designed to fit under a bench or countertop.  

Capacity

VS50 – 50 Litre gross capacity

VS150 – 150 Litre gross capacity

Dimensions

VS50 – External  480w X 450d X 550h (mm)

VS50 – Internal 400w X 345d X 380h (mm)

VS150 –  External 595w X 615d X 810h (mm)

VS150 – Internal 505w X 467d X 620h (mm)

Cooling system

2-8°C Temperature range

Additional features

Controller battery backup, lockable, LED display panel, USB data recorder.

Key Features of Mini Fridges for Medication

Mini medical fridges have features to ensure the safekeeping of temperature sensitive products. As with standard size medical fridges, these features adhere to the strict storage guidelines to maintain the efficacy and safety of medicines, vaccines and biological samples. These features include:  

• Precise temperature management. A key feature of a medical fridge is the ability to deliver specific temperature control required for the cold chain, ensuring the safe storage of temperature sensitive goods while in storage and transit. The narrow temperature range of between 2°C and 8°C can only be maintained in medical fridges with precise temperature management.  

• Digital temp monitoring. To control temperatures, medical fridges can be equipped with digital temperature monitoring, either via a basic data logger, or with a fully automatic cloud connected logger. These data loggers electronically record temperature readings at set intervals.

• Lock systems. Security is paramount on medical fridges, given the nature of sensitive medications, vaccines and biological samples. Medical fridges have a variety of security options including keypad locks, combination locks and simple key locks. 

• Clear interior visibility. Most medical fridges have glass doors so healthcare professionals can see their medicine and vaccine stock easily. Being able to locate the right product by way of visible interior means less time needed for the door to be open.

• Regulation and standard compliance. Healthcare professionals in charge of medical fridges have to adhere to strict regulations to maintain the proper temperature for sensitive items. Upholding the cold chain requirements is the responsibility of the business and is subjected to regular compliance monitoring. 

Storing medications at the correct and safe temperature is essential, given some medicines and vaccines are extremely temperature sensitive. Whether you are travelling, have a small business, or need a medical fridge for personal use, there is a variety to choose from.  Our comprehensive guide explains what a mini medicine fridge is, and how to find the best fridge for your purposes. The friendly team at Vacc-Safe are Australia’s leading vaccine and medical storage manufacturer, and will be happy to help you choose the best mini fridge for your medical purposes.