How to Give a Wegovy Injection: a Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1, gather what you need and prepare the pen

Before anything else, take the pen out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for around 15–30 minutes. Cold medicine can make the injection more uncomfortable. While you wait, wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly, clean hands matter more than any other prep step.

Check the pen window. The liquid should be clear and colourless or faintly yellow; if it looks cloudy, discoloured or contains particles, don't use it. Confirm the dose label matches what your prescriber has prescribed, and check the expiry date. Pens are stored in the fridge (2–8°C) and, once removed, have a limited window at room temperature, your Patient Information Leaflet gives the exact number of days. For anything uncertain about storage, the Wegovy SmPC on the eMC is the definitive reference.

Have an alcohol swab and a sharps bin within reach before you start. If you need a sharps container, a 1-litre sharps bin is a practical size for home use, and if you're also looking for a wegovy pen disposal container suited to the pen's dimensions, we stock those too. Don't uncap the pen yet.

Step 2, choose and clean the injection site

Pick one of the three licensed sites: the abdomen (belly), the front or outer thigh, or the outer upper arm. The abdomen is the most accessible if you're injecting yourself; the upper arm is easier if someone else is helping. Wherever you choose, avoid broken skin, bruising, moles or scars.

If you're using the abdomen, stay at least 5 cm clear of the navel. Wipe the chosen spot with an alcohol swab and let it air-dry for a few seconds, rubbing it dry can re-introduce bacteria and occasionally increases stinging. You can read more about the technique for injecting into the stomach or the technique for the thigh if you'd like site-specific detail.

Rotating sites each week isn't optional housekeeping, repeated injections into exactly the same spot cause lipohypertrophy (lumpy fatty tissue), which affects how the medicine is absorbed. Keep a mental note, or a simple diary entry, of where you injected last week.

Step 3, inject, then check the window

Remove the pen cap. Press the pen firmly and flat against the cleaned skin, don't pinch the skin unless your prescriber has specifically advised it for your build. Press the injection button with your thumb and hold the pen steady. The yellow indicator in the window will start to move; keep the pen pressed against your skin until it stops and you see the yellow bar fill the window. This usually takes around 10 seconds. Lift the pen away only after that point, removing it too early can mean the full dose isn't delivered.

A small amount of liquid at the injection site afterwards is normal and isn't a sign that the dose was missed. Mild redness or a tiny lump that resolves within an hour is also common. If there's significant swelling, a rash spreading beyond the immediate site, or any difficulty breathing, that needs urgent medical attention.

Our guide on giving a semaglutide injection covers the same steps with additional notes on technique variations; if you're a visual learner, we've also put together a short video walkthrough.

Step 4 (dispose safely and record the dose

The used pen goes straight into your sharps bin) needle-end first, pen cap left on the bin's entry point, no recapping. Don't leave it on a surface even briefly. Your local council or GP surgery can tell you how to arrange collection or drop-off for a full bin; most areas in England offer a free collection service.

Note the date and site in whatever way works for you: a phone note, a calendar sticker, the back of a prescription envelope. The notation takes seconds, but it matters at your next clinical review. A record of when you injected and where makes dose-change conversations with your prescriber straightforward.

Wegovy is taken once a week on the same day each week. If your regular day is a Monday but you miss it, the NHS guidance on semaglutide advises injecting as soon as you remember, provided your next scheduled dose is at least 48 hours away. If it's closer than that, skip the missed dose and continue your regular schedule. For any uncertainty about a missed dose or timing, contact your prescriber rather than adjusting the schedule yourself. You can reach the nume team through our aftercare support line, which is available seven days a week.

Side effects are most common after the very first injection or after a dose increase, nausea, mild stomach discomfort, loose stools or constipation are the ones people notice most. They tend to settle within a week or two as your body adjusts. The NHS guidance on semaglutide side effects lists what to monitor and when to seek help. If you're newly starting Wegovy and want a fuller picture of how the treatment works, our Wegovy overview covers the evidence and what to expect in the first weeks. If you'd like to understand more about weight-loss treatment options more broadly, that page compares the available routes.

Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine. If you haven't yet been assessed and are considering treatment, speaking to our prescribers is the place to start, consultations are free, and a GPhC-registered prescriber reads every one the same day.