Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It’s a once-weekly medicine that helps manage blood sugar levels along with diet and exercise to help patients lose weight.
It’s delivered under the skin with a small, fine needle. Using a smaller needle can minimise pain and anxiety for patients who are nervous or fearful of injections.
How to Inject
Ozempic is a medication that can help you manage your diabetes (CADTH, 2019; Chamberlin, 2019). It comes in a pen and is often self-injected once a week. It works best when used along with a healthy diet and regular exercise (CADTH, 2019).
Ozempic should be injected right under the skin (subcutaneously), not into a vein or artery. Injections into lean or mostly muscular parts of your body, such as the thigh, aren’t recommended because they can be painful and may cause the drug to work less well.
Ozempic is absorbed into your body much more quickly when injected under the thick, fatty parts of your skin. The three best injection sites are the abdomen, thigh, and upper arm. Rotate between these sites with each weekly dose, and don’t use the same injection site each time.
Where to Inject
Ozempic is a once-weekly injection of semaglutide that can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, lower HbA1c and lose weight. It comes in an easy-to-use injector pen, similar to insulin pens.
You can inject it in your stomach (abdomen), thigh or upper arm. It’s best to use a different site for each dose, as using the same place could cause inflammation of the skin and infection.
Dial your Ozempic pen to the dose that your doctor prescribed before you inject it. Then, wipe your skin with an alcohol pad at the injection site of choice and let it dry.
Once you’ve injected the medication, remove the needle and dispose of it in an FDA-approved sharps container right away. Never reuse or share your pen and needles.
When it’s time for your next dose, dial the pen to the correct dose and repeat the process of priming your new pen and using a fresh needle. Remember to always use a different injection site with each dose of Ozempic, and make sure to get the full dose.
Dosage
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a prescription medication used to control blood sugar levels and help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight. It is a once-weekly injection and can be given at any time of the day, with or without meals.
To prepare for your injection, select a clean spot on your stomach (abdomen), thigh or upper arm. Using an alcohol swab, wipe the area with a 60-70% solution of alcohol and let it dry completely.
Place the pen cap back on the needle and turn the dose selector dial clockwise until you’ve selected the correct dose in milligrams that your doctor prescribed. Don’t rotate the dose button more than a few clicks to avoid overdosing.
Then, insert the needle into the skin and press down on the center of the dose button until a “0” lines up with the pointer. Keep it pressed down and count to 6 to make sure the full dose is injected.
Side Effects
Ozempic is an injectable medicine that works by increasing the amount of insulin your body makes after a meal. It’s used in people with type 2 diabetes to help manage blood sugar levels along with lifestyle improvements in diet and exercise.
It also helps lower your risk for certain heart problems in adults with diabetes and heart disease. It’s also used to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis in people who have had pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
When you inject Ozempic, it’s important to choose an area on your body with some fatty tissue, such as your abdomen and upper arms. This will help the drug to reach your muscle cells more effectively.
If you’re not sure where to inject, ask your doctor or pharmacist for guidance. It’s also helpful to change the location each time you inject.
Other medications or supplements may interact with Ozempic. Tell your doctor about all of the drugs, herbs, and supplements you use. This will help your doctor figure out how to use Ozempic safely.