Ozempic is a once-a-week medication that’s injected into the stomach, thigh or upper arm. It can be a painless process, but it’s important to follow your medical provider’s instructions carefully.
It’s also important to use a new needle every time you inject. Reusing a needle can lead to skin infections and bruising.
Pick the Right Injection Site
When injected, Ozempic (semaglutide) should be subcutaneously – under the skin, away from muscles and veins. This way the drug is absorbed slowly, which means it will be effective.
The stomach and thigh are the most common sites for injecting Ozempic, but this isn’t the “best” place. The results of clinical trials have shown that all of these sites resulted in similar absorption of Ozempic.
To get the right injection site, you need to find an area that’s thick and fatty, away from muscle and blood vessels. It’s also important to rotate your injection site each week, which reduces the risk of lipohypertrophy – a lump of fat under your skin that can impact how your body absorbs the medication.
Usually, you’ll use the vastus lateralis muscle on the outer anterolateral aspect of your thigh. To mark this site, position your hand on the thigh and form a V with your index and middle fingers.
Clean the Injection Site
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a once-weekly injection for people with Type 2 diabetes. It is injected under the skin on your stomach, thigh, or upper arm.
Choosing the right injection site is important for both safety and ease. The area should be clean and dry before you inject the medication.
Use an alcohol swab to clean the injection site and allow it to dry before injecting your dose. Don’t blow on the swab or rub the injection site to speed up the drying time.
Once you’ve cleaned the injection site, use a new disposable needle for every shot you take. Place your syringe and needle into a sharps container* before disposing of it.
Ozempic is safe to inject if you follow your medical provider’s instructions. However, you may experience a few common side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, speak with your doctor immediately.
Warm the Injection
For the most comfortable injection experience, it’s important to warm the medication up before injecting. This may seem like a small step, but it can make a big difference in how painful it feels after you’ve administered the dose.
To warm the injection, you can take it out of the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature before injecting. This can help to reduce any discomfort that it may feel, as well as the likelihood of the medicine being quickly metabolised.
You can also use ice to cool down the medicine and reduce any pain or swelling that you may be feeling. You can also ask your healthcare practitioner to numb the injection site with a numbing cream or gel to make it easier to administer.
Once you’ve chosen the right injection site, it’s time to inject your medication. This is a simple process that should only take a few minutes. However, you’ll want to follow the directions carefully so that you can ensure a successful injection every time.
Get the Right Dose
Ozempic comes as a pre-filled pen for subcutaneous injection under the skin (subcutaneous means inside your body). It’s usually injected once a week into your abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
Choose an area that has some fatty tissue, as this will make it easier to inject and help reduce skin reactions. Also, use a different spot each time to prevent scarring or other side effects.
After you affix the needle to the top of the pen, turn it clockwise until it lines up with the dose pointer. This will give you the right dose in milligrams that your doctor prescribed.
If you accidentally turn the dial too many clicks, just back it off and try again.
When you’re ready to inject, turn the dose selector dial clockwise until it shows a symbol that looks like a droplet of liquid. Then press the injection button to dispense the medication.
If you’re not sure how to do this, ask your healthcare professional for instructions. Injection site reactions are relatively rare.