Short answer: The Forteo label dose is 20 mcg injected under the skin once a day, into the thigh or abdomen. Each pen holds 28 daily doses and is thrown away 28 days after first use. The first doses are given where the person can sit or lie down. Use for more than 2 years in a lifetime is considered only if fracture risk stays or becomes high again.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Forteo is approved for: Forteo is a parathyroid hormone analog (PTH 1-34) approved for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men with primary or hypogonadal osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, and for men and women with osteoporosis from long-term steroid (glucocorticoid) use at high risk for fracture, or for people who could not use or did not respond to other osteoporosis treatments (section 1).
Source
FORTEO (teriparatide) injection, for subcutaneous use, prescribing information and Medication Guide. Eli Lilly. DailyMed, version published August 19, 2026. DailyMed setid aae667c5-381f-4f92-93df-2ed6158d07b0
Forteo is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) into the thigh or abdomen once a day. It is not for use in a vein or muscle (sections 2.1 and 2.2).
The first doses are given where the person can sit or lie down in case of dizziness on standing (section 2.2).
The Medication Guide says to inject right after taking the pen out of the refrigerator, return it to the refrigerator right away, and not take more than 1 injection in the same day. Calcium and vitamin D, if recommended, can be taken at the same time.
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Item | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Recommended dosage | 20 mcg per dose given subcutaneously once a day |
| Injection site | Thigh or abdominal region |
| Pen | 560 mcg/2.24 mL (250 mcg/mL), 28 daily doses of 20 mcg; discard 28 days after first use |
| Calcium and vitamin D | Supplemental calcium and vitamin D if daily dietary intake is inadequate |
| Treatment duration | More than 2 years during a patient's lifetime only if the patient remains at or has returned to having a high risk for fracture |
Forteo should be clear and colorless and is not used if it has particles or is cloudy or colored. People who inject it are trained on the pen first.
In people with high urine calcium or suspected active kidney stones, urine calcium may be measured.
The label says stopping Forteo may be considered when pregnancy is recognized.
The Forteo label gives no missed-dose instruction. The Medication Guide says not to take more than 1 injection in the same day. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist what to do if a dose is missed.
More on this: missed a dose of Forteo.
In Dose Track you set up Forteo as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.