The Wegovy pen is a prefilled, single-use injector that delivers your dose with one press of a button. There are no dials to set and no cartridges to load. The entire process, from uncapping to disposal, takes about two minutes once you’re familiar with it. Here’s exactly what to do at each step.
Check Your Pen Before You Start
Pull the pen out of the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes so it’s not ice-cold going in. Look through the pen window: the liquid inside should be clear and colorless. If it looks cloudy, has visible particles, or has changed color, don’t use that pen. Also check the expiration date on the label. If you’ve been storing the pen at room temperature (anything above 46°F), it’s good for up to 28 days. After that, discard it even if there’s medication left.
Choose and Rotate Your Injection Site
You have three options for where to inject: your lower stomach, the front of your upper thigh, or your upper arm. The upper arm can be harder to reach on your own, so many people stick with the stomach or thigh.
If you use your stomach, stay at least 2 inches away from your belly button. Whichever area you choose, vary the exact spot each week. You can use the same general region (your stomach every time, for example), but move the needle entry point around within that region. Rotating prevents skin irritation and the formation of hard lumps under the skin, which can affect how well the medication absorbs.
How to Give the Injection
Pull off the gray cap. You’ll see the needle is hidden inside the pen, so there’s nothing to attach or uncover. Clean the injection site with an alcohol swab and let it dry.
Place the pen flat against your skin and press firmly. You’ll hear a first click. That click means the injection has started, and the yellow bar in the pen window should begin to move. If the yellow bar doesn’t budge, push the pen harder against your skin.
Keep holding the pen in place. Partway through, you’ll hear a second click. This does not mean the injection is finished. The second click simply signals that delivery is still in progress. Continue pressing the pen against your skin until the yellow bar stops moving completely. One important detail: the yellow bar will not fill the entire window, so don’t wait for it to reach the top. Once it stops, the dose is complete.
Lift the pen straight off your skin. The needle retracts automatically. The whole injection typically takes around 5 to 10 seconds from the first click to the yellow bar stopping.
What to Do if Medication Leaks
Sometimes you’ll notice a drop of liquid on your skin after pulling the pen away. This usually happens when the pen wasn’t pressed firmly enough or was removed too soon. A small amount of leakage won’t make the dose less effective, and you should not try to inject additional medication to make up for it.
If leaking happens repeatedly and you’re confident your technique is correct, the pen itself may be faulty. Discard it properly without using it again and try a new pen. You can also call the Wegovy helpline at 1-833-4-WEGOVY for troubleshooting.
The Dose Escalation Schedule
Wegovy uses a gradual ramp-up over about 16 weeks to reduce nausea and other stomach side effects. Your prescriber will move you through these steps:
- Weeks 1 through 4: 0.25 mg once weekly
- Weeks 5 through 8: 0.5 mg once weekly
- Weeks 9 through 12: 1 mg once weekly
- Weeks 13 through 16: 1.7 mg once weekly
- Week 17 onward: 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg once weekly (maintenance dose)
Each dose level comes as a separate pen with a different color label, so you won’t accidentally take the wrong strength. You use one pen per week and discard it after the single injection.
If You Miss a Dose
If your usual injection day passes and you realize you forgot, take the dose as soon as you can within a few days. Then adjust your next dose so there’s a full week between injections. If too many days have passed and your next scheduled dose is close, skip the missed one and resume your regular schedule. The key rule is to never take two doses in the same week.
Storage Between Doses
Keep unused pens in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F, ideally in the original carton to protect them from light. If you need to travel or don’t have refrigerator access, a pen can stay at room temperature (up to 86°F) for a maximum of 28 days. After 28 days unrefrigerated, throw the pen away. Never freeze Wegovy, and don’t use a pen that has been frozen.
How to Dispose of Used Pens
Even though the needle retracts after use, Wegovy pens count as sharps and need proper disposal. Drop the used pen into a sharps disposal container right after your injection. You can buy FDA-cleared sharps containers at most pharmacies, or use a sturdy, puncture-resistant household container like a heavy plastic laundry detergent bottle with a screw-on lid.
When the container is about three-quarters full, seal it and dispose of it through your local program. Options vary by area but commonly include drop-off boxes at pharmacies, hospitals, or fire stations, household hazardous waste collection sites, and mail-back programs. Your local health department or trash service can tell you which options are available near you. If you travel with Wegovy, pack a small travel-size sharps container so you’re never stuck without one.