How to inject Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, or any GLP-1

Medical professionals go through extensive training to give injections, so it makes sense that it’s intimidating to uncap a sharp syringe and give yourself an injection at home — let alone to do it every week. While the first time or two might feel tricky, you’ll get the hang of it quickly, says Dr. Brynna Connor, M.D., a family medicine physician in Austin, Texas. Just know it’ll be much less painful than some other injections, like a flu shot, that go into your muscle; GLP-1s feel more like a pinch because they go just underneath the surface of the skin and use a smaller needle.

Here’s how to inject confidently from the get-go.

No matter which injection device you’re using — a multiple-use pen, single-use pen, or vial and syringe — the prep is the same.

You’ll need an alcohol wipe to disinfect the skin where you’ll be injecting, and a place to dispose of the needle, such as an official sharps container or other a heavy-duty plastic container, like an empty coffee canister or laundry detergent jug. Next, remove the medication from your refrigerator. Wash your hands with soap and water.

Using a clean, sterile cotton swab or pad with a small amount of rubbing alcohol on it or a pre-moistened alcohol wipe, clean the skin where you’ll be injecting in a circular motion. “We don't want any of the bacteria that's on the skin to be injected under the skin, because you can develop a little infection or more irritation or a rash,” Connor says. Do not touch the cleaned area with your hands until after you’ve completed the injection.

As for where to inject, you can choose between your upper arm, thigh, or stomach. Connor recommends doing it about two inches or so from the belly button, as that area is easy for you to see and access. Make sure skin is healthy there, and rotate where you inject each week, such as switching from the left side of your stomach to your right side. Take a seat for the injection.

Check the medication to make sure it’s the correct name and dose, and that the liquid is clear, not cloudy. For pens that have multiple doses in them, you use a new needle each time. Pull the paper tab off the top of a new needle package but leave the needle cap on. Push the needle onto the end of the pen, and twist it clockwise until it’s on tight. Now you can remove the cap from the needle. If using a new pen, turn the dose-selector dial until the arrow points to the flow-check indicator setting, which is a symbol that looks like a dashed line. Holding the pen pointing needle-end up, press the dose button on the other end until the dose counter goes to zero and a tiny drop appears at the tip of the needle. This drop of medication indicates the pen is flowing properly. If you’ve already used the pen before, you can skip that step. Next, select the dose your healthcare provider prescribed, turning the dial until the correct dose appears.

Press the pen with the needle end firmly into the clean skin. Click the other end of the pen to release the medication through the needle. Hold it against the skin for six seconds and wait for a second click, which indicates the dose has been administered correctly. The dose counter reads “0” when it’s been properly injected. “If you pull it out too quickly, the medicine may not have fully come out of the pen,” Connor says. After the second click, remove the pen from the skin. The needle is very thin, so it will come away from the skin easily.

Double check that the pen is the correct prescribed dosage and not expired, that the cap at the end covering the needle is in place, and that the pen doesn’t have any cracks or appear broken in any way. The liquid medication inside should be clear to slightly yellow. Take off the cap covering the needle, and you’re ready to go. Press the pen with the needle end firmly into the clean skin. (Depending on your medication pen type, you may also need to turn the ring on the other end of the pen toward you to unlock it, then press and hold the button at the top of the pen.) Hold it for 6-10 seconds and wait for a second click, which indicates the dose has been administered correctly. “If you pull it out too quickly, the medicine may not have fully come out of the pen,” Connor says. After the second click, remove the pen from the skin. The needle is very thin, so it will come away from the skin easily.

Check the medication to make sure it’s the correct name and dose, and that the liquid is clear, not cloudy. Then, take the hard, plastic cap off the vial and wipe the top of the medication vial with an alcohol swab. Uncap the top (needle side) and bottom (plunger side) of the syringe. Pull back on the plunger to draw air into the syringe. Poke the top of the vial and push the air out into it, then hold the vial upside-down to pull the liquid into the vial to get to the prescribed dose. Carefully remove the needle from the vial so you don’t bend the needle. Lightly tap or flick the syringe to get any air bubbles to rise to the top, then gently push the plunger to remove them. Position the needle at a 90-degree angle to your body, then slowly insert the needle all the way into your skin. Gently push the plunger down until the syringe is empty, then gently remove the needle from your skin.

If you have a multi-use pen, unscrew the needle off the end of the pen and dispose of it in your sharps container; then put the cap back on the pen and place it back in your refrigerator until next week. For a syringe or a single-use pen, replace the cap and place it in your sharps container. Never throw a needle into the trash, as it could stick your garbage collector or someone else. When your sharps container is full, the FDA recommends contacting your state or city’s health department or your local trash-removal service for instructions on how to dispose of it safely.

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