Using the Wegovy pen correctly, from first injection to routine

Step 1, Prepare your pen, site, and supplies

Take your Wegovy pen from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. A cold injection is more likely to sting. While you're waiting, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Choose your injection site. The three licensed options are the stomach (at least 5 cm from the navel), the front of the thigh, or the outer upper arm. Rotate sites each week, using exactly the same spot repeatedly can cause the skin to thicken over time, which affects how the medicine is absorbed. Within a site, move a few centimetres from the previous spot. Our detailed guide to Wegovy injection technique covers site rotation in more depth.

Attach a fresh needle. Remove the paper tab, twist the needle cap on until it clicks, then pull off the outer and inner needle caps. Use a clean alcohol swab to wipe the skin and let it dry fully, injecting into damp skin stings more than people expect. Check the liquid in the pen window: it should be clear and colourless. If it looks cloudy or contains particles, do not use it; contact your prescriber or pharmacy.

Step 2, Inject with confidence

Pinch a fold of skin gently between your thumb and forefinger if you're using the stomach or thigh. Hold the pen at a 90-degree angle to the skin. Press the pen firmly against the site until you feel it click, then press and hold the injection button, usually orange or green depending on the pen format. Keep holding until the dose counter in the window reaches zero, then count slowly to six before lifting the pen away. That pause matters: releasing early means some of the dose stays in the needle.

You may see a small drop of liquid at the tip after removing the pen. This is normal and doesn't mean you've lost a dose. Don't rub the injection site; it can irritate the skin. A little redness or mild tenderness at the site is common and usually settles within a day. More about the Wegovy pen device itself (including what each part does) is on the linked page.

If you feel resistance or the injection seems not to complete, don't try to re-inject with the same pen. Speak to your pharmacist or prescriber before your next dose.

Step 3, Safe disposal and weekly routine

Remove the needle immediately after each injection, cap it using the outer cap, and place it in a puncture-resistant sharps container. Never put loose needles in the household bin or recycling. Full sharps bins are returned to your local pharmacy or a council collection point, not your general waste. The pen body, once empty, goes in the household waste unless local guidance says otherwise. Disposing of Wegovy pens safely has the full detail on what goes where.

Set a recurring alert for the same day each week. Consistency matters: the medicine works by maintaining a steady concentration, and a regular weekly rhythm supports that. If you miss a dose by fewer than five days, the NHS semaglutide medicines page explains what to do, but your Patient Information Leaflet and prescriber are the definitive guides. Never take two doses to make up for one missed.

Unused pens go back in the fridge. If you're currently on a single pen per month, our guide to the Wegovy 1 pen supply option explains what that format includes and how to manage storage between doses. Thinking about what happens if you stop using Wegovy altogether? That question has its own dedicated page.

Side effects to be aware of when you're starting out

The most common side effects when using the Wegovy pen are gastrointestinal: nausea, loose stools, constipation, indigestion, and burping. They tend to be most noticeable in the first few weeks of a new dose and often ease considerably as your body adjusts. Eating smaller meals, avoiding greasy or very spicy food, and staying well hydrated all help. The NHS England guidance on weight-management injections includes practical lifestyle advice alongside treatment.

Seek urgent medical attention if you develop severe, persistent stomach pain, particularly if it spreads to your back. This can be a sign of pancreatitis, which the MHRA has highlighted as an infrequent but serious risk with GLP-1 medicines. Signs of an allergic reaction (swelling, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat) also need emergency assessment. For anything less urgent, your prescriber or our aftercare team can help you work out what to do. Wondering about cost alongside treatment? Our Wegovy cost guide covers the full picture of what private treatment involves.

Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine; your prescriber sets your dose schedule and decides when you're ready to move to the next strength. Never adjust the dose yourself, if you think you're ready to step up, or if side effects are making you want to step down, that's a clinical conversation, not a self-service decision.