Your complete guide to the Wegovy® pen
If you're an adult living with obesity, or with excess weight and at least one weight-related condition, here's what you need to know about using the once-weekly Wegovy® pen — alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity — to lose weight and keep it off.
Once-weekly injection
Using your Wegovy® pen
Get to know your Wegovy® pen
Wegovy® comes in a prefilled pen and is used once a week. Use it exactly as your prescriber has shown you. Want more of the detail? Grab the full instructions.
Instructions for the Wegovy® pen →
The needle is built in and hidden — there's no priming or assembly. Here are the five steps for each injection.
Prepare for the injection
- Gather your supplies in one place: your Wegovy® pen, an alcohol swab (or soap and water), a gauze pad or cotton ball, and a sharps bin for the used pen.
- Wash your hands.
- Check your pen.
Do not use the pen if:
- It appears to have been used, or any part looks broken.
- The medicine is not clear and colourless through the pen window (air bubbles are normal).
- The expiry date (EXP) has passed.
Choose the injection site
Your prescriber can help you choose the best site for you.
- Inject into your upper thigh (front), lower stomach (keep 5cm away from your belly button), or upper arm — make sure you can clearly see the pen window.
- Avoid skin that is tender, bruised, red, or hard, and areas with scars or stretch marks.
- You can use the same body area each week, but not the exact same spot.
Clean the site with an alcohol swab or soap and water, don't touch it after cleaning, and let the skin dry before injecting.
Remove the pen cap
- Pull the cap straight off. The needle is hidden, so you don't have to see or handle it.
- Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there — avoid pressing the needle cover to prevent a needlestick injury.
Inject your dose
Push the pen firmly against your skin and keep applying pressure. You'll know the injection has started when the yellow bar starts moving. If it doesn't move, press more firmly.
The injection should take about 5–10 seconds. You'll hear two clicks during the process — don't stop after the second click. Keep pressing until the yellow bar stops moving, then lift the pen slowly away.
Safely throw away the pen
- Don't put the used pen in your household or recycling bin.
- Use a sharps bin, or a sturdy household container with a tight-fitting lid that is puncture-resistant and clearly labelled as hazardous waste.
- Dispose of full sharps bins according to your local council's guidance.
If blood appears at the site after injecting, press lightly with a gauze pad or cotton ball.
Watch: how to use the pen
A short step-by-step video based on the Instructions for Use that come with your Wegovy® pen.
Once-weekly dosing
Let's talk Wegovy® pen dosing
For weight loss in adults, your prescriber starts you on the 0.25mg once-weekly dose and gradually increases it roughly every 4 weeks until you reach your maintenance dose.
Taking Wegovy®
- Inject once weekly, on the same day each week, at any time of day.
- Use with or without food.
- Inject under the skin of your stomach, thigh, or upper arm — never into muscle or a vein.
- Use the same body area each week, just not the same spot.
Missing a dose
- If your next dose is more than 2 days (48 hours) away, take the missed dose as soon as you remember.
- If it's less than 2 days away, skip it and take your next dose on the regular day.
- If it's been 2 weeks or more since your last dose, speak to your prescriber about how to restart.
Increasing your dose
- Only increase when directed by your prescriber.
- You may stay at one dose longer than 4 weeks to let your body adjust.
- Your prescriber monitors your progress at each step.
- Tell them about any side effects that don't go away or bother you.
Storage & handling
Caring for your Wegovy® pen
Looking after your pen properly keeps the medicine effective and the device safe to use.
- Do not drop your pen or knock it against hard surfaces.
- Do not expose your pen to any liquids.
- If you think your pen may be damaged, don't use it or try to fix it — use a new pen.
- Keep the cap on until you're ready to inject. The pen won't be sterile if stored without the cap, or if the cap is removed and refitted.
- Store the pen in the fridge between 2°C and 8°C. Do not freeze. If needed, it can be kept between 8°C and 30°C in the original carton for up to 28 days.
Tips for success
Tips that may help
A few simple routines make once-weekly dosing easier to stick to.
Set reminders
Use a phone alarm or a medication app, and plan to take your dose on the same day each week.
Create a routine
Connect the injection to a weekly habit — Sunday morning before coffee, or when you do the laundry.
Rotate sites
Change where you inject each week between your upper thigh, lower stomach, and upper arm.
Get help
If you're not comfortable injecting yourself, ask a friend or family member trained on the pen to help.
Common questions
FAQs about using the Wegovy® pen
Answers to some of the questions patients ask us most often.
How often do I use the Wegovy® pen?
Wegovy® is a once-weekly injection you give yourself, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without food.
Why does the pen come in different colours?
The pen comes in six dose strengths — 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg, 2.4mg, and Wegovy® HD 7.2mg — and each strength has its own colour-coded pen so doses are easy to tell apart.
Do I have to use the pen on the same day every week?
It's recommended you use it on the same day each week, at whatever time is most convenient. You can change the day as long as your last dose was given 2 or more days before.
How do I dispose of used pens?
After injecting, don't put the pen in your household or recycling bin. Use a sharps bin, or a sturdy, puncture-resistant household container with a tight lid, labelled as hazardous waste and stored upright. Follow your local council's guidance for disposing of full bins.
What if the liquid in the pen is cloudy?
Only use the pen if the liquid is clear and colourless through the window. If it isn't, do not use it — contact us on 0116 507 0486 for advice on a replacement.
What is Wegovy® HD (7.2mg)?
Wegovy® HD is a higher dose of semaglutide — the same active ingredient as standard Wegovy® — in a single-dose pen. It may be an option for adults who need to lose more weight after at least 4 weeks on the 2.4mg dose. Talk to your prescriber about whether stepping up is right for you.
Do I need to prime the pen or attach a needle?
No. The needle is already built in and hidden, and the pen requires no priming and no assembly.
How many doses are in one pen?
There is exactly one dose in each pen. After injecting, dispose of it in a sharps bin — pens are single-use only.
How should I store the pen?
Store it in the fridge between 2°C and 8°C. If needed, before removing the cap, it can be kept between 8°C and 30°C in the original carton for up to 28 days. Keep it in the carton to protect from light, and never freeze it.
What should I do if the pen malfunctions?
If the yellow bar doesn't start moving, or stops during the injection, contact your prescriber or call us on 0116 507 0486. Let your pharmacy know if you're concerned you didn't receive the full dose.
Ready to start your weight loss journey?
Complete a short clinical assessment online. Our independent prescribers review every application and recommend the right treatment and dose for you — with ongoing support throughout.
Start your assessment →Speak to your Prescriber before your next dose
Mon–Sat 9am–4:30pm. After hours, leave a voicemail and we will call you back next working day.
Important safety information
Wegovy® (semaglutide) is a prescription-only medicine for weight management in adults, used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It is not suitable for everyone. Do not use Wegovy® if you or a family member have had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), or if you've had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide. Tell your prescriber about all medicines you take and any other medical conditions. Common side effects include nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, and stomach pain. Always read the Patient Information Leaflet. This guide is for information only and does not replace advice from your prescriber. To report a side effect, use the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.