How to Inject Wegovy: Step-by-Step Guide

This guide covers the single-dose Wegovy pen — the disposable pen you use once and throw away. If your pen looks different (for example, a multi-dose FlexTouch pen that you use several times and attach a needle to), ask your care team for the matching instructions, because the steps are not the same.[1]

Wegovy is given as a shot under the skin (subcutaneous) once a week, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food.[1] The needle is hidden inside the pen tip — you won't see it before, during, or after the shot. Most people find the pen easy to use: in a study of people using this exact pen, 81–97% rated every step as "easy" or "very easy" after 68 weeks.[2]

Where to Inject

Pick one of these three areas:[1]

• Belly (abdomen) — stay at least 2 inches away from your belly button
• Front of the thigh
• Back of the upper arm — this spot usually needs someone else to help you

Change your spot every week — belly one week, thigh the next, arm after that. Rotating prevents soreness and lumps under the skin, and the medicine works the same from any of the three areas.[1]

Do not inject into skin that is sore, bruised, red, hard, or scarred. If you also take insulin, don't give both shots in the exact same spot, and never mix them in one syringe.[1]

Before You Inject: Check Your Pen

1. Check the label — it should say Wegovy and show the dose your doctor prescribed.
2. Check the expiration date — never use an expired pen.
3. Look at the liquid through the window. It should be clear and colorless with no floating particles. Cloudy, colored, or speckled liquid means don't use that pen.
4. Never use a pen that has been frozen — even if it has thawed and looks normal.[1]

You may let the pen sit out for a few minutes to warm up — a cold injection can sting more — but this is optional.

Step-by-Step: Giving the Shot

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Gather supplies: your pen, an alcohol wipe, a cotton ball or gauze, and your sharps container.
3. Clean the site with the alcohol wipe and let the skin air dry — don't blow on it or wipe it.
4. Pull the cap straight off. Don't twist. A small drop of liquid at the tip is normal. Once the cap is off, use the pen right away — and never put the cap back on.
5. Place the flat end of the pen against your skin, flat and straight — not at an angle.
6. Press the pen firmly down. Pressing against the skin is what starts the shot. You'll hear a first click — the needle is in and the medicine is flowing. The yellow bar in the window starts to move.
7. Keep pressing and hold still until you hear a second click and the yellow bar completely fills the window. That means the full dose went in. Don't lift early, or you may not get all your medicine.
8. Lift the pen straight up. A shield automatically covers the needle and locks.
9. If there's a drop of blood, press gently with a cotton ball or gauze. Don't rub.
10. Drop the used pen straight into your sharps container. Never recap it.[1]

Key reminder: two clicks. Press for the first click, keep holding until the second click and the yellow bar fills the window.

Storing Your Pens

Question	Answer
Where do I normally keep it?	In the refrigerator, 36–46°F (2–8°C)
Can I keep it out of the fridge?	Yes — a capped pen may stay at 46–86°F (8–30°C) for up to 28 days
Can I freeze it?	No. Never freeze; discard any pen that has been frozen
Does it stay in the box?	Yes — the carton protects the medicine from light
Where in the fridge?	Away from the cooling element and back wall, where it could freeze
How many uses per pen?	One. Discard after a single shot, even if liquid remains

Traveling? Keep pens in their carton in a cooler or insulated bag — never in a checked bag, a hot car, or direct sunlight.[1] For the full storage rules across all GLP-1s, see our storage guide.

If You Miss a Dose

• Next scheduled dose more than 2 days (48 hours) away: take the missed dose as soon as you remember, then return to your usual day.
• Next scheduled dose less than 2 days (48 hours) away: skip it. Don't double up — just take your next dose on your regular day.
• Missed 2 or more weeks in a row: call your care team before restarting. You may need to resume at a lower dose, because restarting at your full dose can cause severe nausea and vomiting.[1]

Never take two doses to make up for a missed one. Full details for every GLP-1 are in our missed-dose guide.

Throwing Away Used Pens

Even though you never see the needle, the used pen is a sharp and must be disposed of safely:[5]

• Put used pens immediately into an FDA-cleared sharps container (sold at pharmacies and online).
• No sharps container? A heavy-duty plastic household container — like an empty laundry detergent bottle — works temporarily if it's puncture-resistant, upright, sealed with a tight lid, and clearly labeled as sharps.
• Never put loose pens in household trash or recycling, and never use glass, a milk jug, or a soda bottle.
• When about three-quarters full, seal it and follow your local disposal rules — your pharmacy or health department can tell you what they are.
• Keep sharps containers away from children and pets.

Other Important Reminders

• Never share your pen with anyone else — sharing can transmit serious bloodborne infections.[1]
• Don't combine Wegovy with another GLP-1 (such as Ozempic, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity, or Victoza) or a DPP-4 inhibitor (such as Januvia or Tradjenta).[3]
• Tell every doctor and dentist you take Wegovy — especially before surgery or any procedure with sedation. GLP-1s slow stomach emptying, and food can remain in the stomach even after normal fasting.[1]
• If you take insulin or a sulfonylurea (glipizide, glimepiride), your blood sugar can drop too low — those doses may need lowering.
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation are common early on and around dose increases, and usually fade with time. Smaller, lower-fat meals, stopping when full, and steady fluids help.[4]
• If you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, stop Wegovy and call your care team — it should be stopped at least 2 months before trying to conceive.[1]

Call Your Care Team Right Away If You Have

• Severe stomach pain that won't go away, especially spreading to your back — possible pancreatitis
• Upper-right belly pain, yellowing skin or eyes, fever, or clay-colored stools — possible gallbladder problem
• A neck lump or swelling, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath
• Face, lip, tongue, or throat swelling, trouble breathing, or severe rash — call 911; this can be a serious allergic reaction
• Vomiting or diarrhea you can't control, or you can't keep fluids down
• A racing or pounding heartbeat at rest
• Shakiness, sweating, confusion, or dizziness — possible low blood sugar, especially with insulin or a sulfonylurea[1]