Short answer: Every prefilled pen comes with FDA-approved Instructions for Use (IFU), and the steps differ from pen to pen: whether you do a flow check, how long you hold, and how long the pen can stay out of the fridge. Read your IFU first. This page shows what the Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Victoza and Zepbound leaflets say, and your own leaflet always wins.
Pens look alike, but the steps are not the same. Read the IFU before your first injection and whenever you get a new kind of pen. If anything here differs from your leaflet, follow the leaflet.
Single-dose pens (autoinjectors). The Wegovy single-dose pen and the Zepbound single-dose pen. The dose is set, the needle is built in, and the pen is used once and thrown away whole. You press it to the skin and it does the rest.
Multi-dose pens. Ozempic, Saxenda, Victoza, Wegovy FlexTouch and the Zepbound KwikPen. One pen holds several doses. Each time, you attach a new needle, dial the dose your prescriber set, and press a button.
Dial pens (names from the Ozempic IFU): pen cap (protects the medicine from light), pen window, dose counter and dose pointer (the number must line up with the pointer), dose selector (the knob you turn), dose button (what you press), and the needle with a paper tab, an outer cap and an inner cap.
Single-dose pens: Wegovy has a pen cap, a needle cover that hides the needle and locks after use, and a window with a yellow bar that moves during the injection. Zepbound has a gray base cap, a clear base that sits flat on the skin, a lock ring, a purple injection button, and a gray plunger that shows when the dose is done.
A new needle every time. The Ozempic and Zepbound KwikPen leaflets both say so. The Ozempic IFU explains it lowers the risk of contamination, infection, leaking, and blocked needles that give the wrong dose. Pull off both the outer and inner needle caps; if you forget the inner cap, no medicine comes out. Never reuse or share needles.
Flow check (priming) makes sure medicine comes out of the needle:
If no drop appears, follow your IFU. The Ozempic IFU, for example, says to repeat the check up to 6 times, then change the needle and try once more, and if there is still no drop, not to use the pen and to call Novo Nordisk.
Dial your dose until the counter shows it, lined up with the pointer. The Ozempic and Zepbound KwikPen leaflets say not to count clicks; read the counter. If the counter stops before your dose, there is not enough left: the Ozempic IFU says use a new pen; the Zepbound KwikPen IFU says throw the pen away and do not inject the leftover.
Pick your spot. These leaflets list the stomach (at least 2 inches from the belly button), the thigh and the upper arm. The Zepbound IFU says the back of the upper arm should be done by another person. The Wegovy IFU says to avoid skin that is tender, bruised, red or hard, and scars and stretch marks. You can use the same area each time, but move to a different spot within it.
Dial pens: press and hold the dose button until the counter shows 0, then keep pressing with the needle in your skin and count slowly. Ozempic, Saxenda and Victoza say count to 6; the Zepbound KwikPen says count to 5. Do not cover the dose counter; the Ozempic IFU says that can stop the injection. If you pull out early, medicine can stream out and you will not get the full dose.
Wegovy single-dose pen: push the pen firmly against your skin and keep pressing until the yellow bar stops moving. You will hear 2 clicks; it takes about 5 to 10 seconds.
Zepbound single-dose pen: place the clear base flat on your skin, unlock it, then press and hold the purple button for up to 10 seconds. The first click means it started, the second means it is done, and the gray plunger shows.
A drop of blood or medicine on the skin afterward is normal. Press lightly with gauze; do not rub.
Do not guess, and do not inject again to make up for it. Follow your IFU and call the number on the leaflet or your prescriber.
Never use a syringe to pull medicine out of a pen; the Ozempic and Zepbound KwikPen leaflets both say not to.
Before first use: keep new pens in the fridge at 36 to 46 °F (2 to 8 °C). Never freeze a pen, and do not use one that has been frozen. The Ozempic IFU adds: do not store it right next to the fridge's cooling element.
| Pen | Limit |
|---|---|
| Ozempic | Up to 56 days after first use, at 59 to 86 °F (15 to 30 °C) or in the fridge |
| Saxenda, Victoza | 30 days after first use, at room temperature or in the fridge |
| Wegovy single-dose pen | If needed, up to 28 days at 46 to 86 °F (8 to 30 °C) in its carton, before the cap comes off |
| Zepbound single-dose pen | Up to a total of 21 days at room temperature, no warmer than 86 °F (30 °C) |
| Zepbound KwikPen | Throw away 30 days after first use or once its doses are used, even if medicine is left |
Keep the cap on to protect the medicine from light. Take the needle off after each injection. Do not leave a pen in a car or anywhere too hot or cold.
The Ozempic, Wegovy FlexTouch and Zepbound KwikPen labels all say never share your pen with another person, even if the needle has been changed. It can pass a serious infection between people. The same goes for needles. Keep pens, needles and sharps containers away from children.
Put used needles, and used single-dose pens, into an FDA-cleared sharps container right away. If you do not have one, the leaflets say you can use a household container that is heavy-duty plastic, has a tight-fitting puncture-resistant lid, stays upright, does not leak, and is labeled as hazardous waste.
Never put loose needles in the trash or recycling, and never flush them. When the container is almost full, follow your local rules (fda.gov/safesharpsdisposal). Do not put the inner needle cap back on; you may stick yourself. If someone else's used needle sticks you, the FDA says wash the area with soap and water right away and get medical care.
See also: GLP-1 brand guides · Missed dose guides · Compounded GLP-1 units