Room temp meds being transferred between jails/correctional/detention facility must not be subjected to external temps of more than --------

• A. 72 degrees
• B. 86 degrees
• C. 90 degrees
• D. 100 degrees

Answer: (B)

Room-temperature medications must be protected from heat during transfers between correctional facilities. The commonly accepted upper limit for external exposure is 86°F. This ceiling helps keep medications within typical room-temperature stability ranges; going above 86°F increases the risk of degradation and loss of potency because heat accelerates chemical reactions that can alter a drug’s effectiveness. If there’s any chance the transport could exceed 86°F, use insulated containers, cooling packs, or reschedule the transfer to maintain product integrity. Lowering the threshold to something like 72°F would be unnecessarily restrictive, while higher values such as 90°F or 100°F would exceed the safe limit and risk compromising the meds.