How to use the Wegovy pen, including the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD dose
Inject the Wegovy pen under the skin once a week, on the same day, at any time and with or without food. Pull the cap off, press the pen firmly against your thigh, stomach or upper arm, and hold through two clicks until the yellow bar stops moving — about 5 to 10 seconds. Wegovy HD works the same way.
Before you start
Check which Wegovy you have. The current label covers a prefilled single-dose pen in 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.7 and 2.4 mg, the Wegovy HD single-dose pen at 7.2 mg, a single-dose syringe, and the FlexTouch pen that holds four 2.4 mg doses. This page covers the single-dose pen and Wegovy HD; the FlexTouch dials its dose and needs its own training. Look through the window: the medicine should be clear and colorless, the pen undamaged and in date. Tell your prescriber about any personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2, which rule Wegovy out, and about pancreatitis, gallbladder or kidney problems, diabetic eye disease, pregnancy plans, and insulin or sulfonylurea use. Have an alcohol swab, gauze and a sharps container ready.
Step by step
Gather supplies and wash your hands
You need the Wegovy pen, one alcohol swab or soap and water, one gauze pad or cotton ball, and a sharps container for the used pen. Wash your hands. Keep the pen cap on until the moment you inject, because the pen is no longer sterile once the cap has been off and put back on.
Check the pen
Confirm the dose on the label matches your prescription and the expiry date has not passed. Look through the pen window: the liquid must be clear and colorless. Air bubbles are normal and do not affect the dose. Do not use a pen that looks used, broken or dropped; Novo Nordisk's number for failed checks is 1-833-934-6891.
Choose and clean the site
Use the front of the thigh, the lower stomach at least two inches from the belly button, or the upper arm. Avoid skin that is tender, bruised, red or hard, and areas with scars or stretch marks. Clean with an alcohol swab or soap and water, do not touch it again, and let the skin dry.
Pull the cap straight off
Pull the pen cap straight off only when you are ready to inject. The needle stays hidden inside the needle cover, so you will not see it. Do not touch or push on the needle cover with your fingers, because the injection starts as soon as the cover is pressed firmly against a surface.
Press firmly and listen for two clicks
Push the pen firmly against your skin. Click 1 means the injection has started; click 2 means it is still going, not finished. If the yellow bar does not start moving, press harder. Keep steady pressure on the pen the whole time, because easing off early can let the medicine leak onto the skin.
Wait for the yellow bar to stop
Keep applying pressure until the yellow bar in the pen window has stopped moving, which takes about 5 to 10 seconds. Only then lift the pen slowly. The needle cover locks as it leaves your skin, so the injection cannot be paused and restarted. If blood appears, press lightly with gauze or a cotton ball.
If medicine squirted or the bar stalled
Novo Nordisk's troubleshooting advice is to keep pressure on until the bar stops next time, and to try a firmer site such as the thigh or upper arm, or stand up when injecting the lower stomach. If the bar did not move or stopped partway, do not inject another pen — call your prescriber or 1-833-934-6891.
Dispose of the pen
Put the used pen straight into an FDA-cleared sharps container. Do not throw it in household trash and do not recycle the container. Each single-dose pen, including the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD pen, is used once. If you have no FDA-cleared container, a heavy-duty, leak-resistant plastic one with a tight puncture-proof lid will do.
Wegovy HD: same steps, one extra condition
The 7.2 mg Wegovy HD pen delivers 0.75 mL and follows the same cap, press, two-click and yellow-bar sequence as the standard pen. The label allows it only after you have tolerated 2.4 mg weekly for at least 4 weeks and your prescriber decides more weight reduction is clinically indicated.
Schedule
Wegovy is injected once weekly on the same day, at any time, with or without meals. The label's escalation is 0.25 mg for weeks 1 to 4, 0.5 mg for weeks 5 to 8, 1 mg for weeks 9 to 12 and 1.7 mg for weeks 13 to 16. From week 17 the usual adult maintenance dose is 2.4 mg, or 1.7 mg. After 4 weeks tolerating 2.4 mg, adults may move to the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD maximum if their prescriber judges it indicated. A poorly tolerated step can be delayed 4 weeks. You may change the weekly day if your last dose was 2 or more days before.
How and where to take it
The label lists three areas: the front of the thighs, the lower stomach kept two inches from the belly button, and the upper arm. You may use the same body area every week, but the Instructions for Use ask that you choose a different spot within it each time. The label adds that the time of day and the injection site can change without any dose adjustment. Stay off skin that is tender, bruised, red or hard, and away from scars and stretch marks. If injecting the stomach is awkward, standing up or switching to the thigh gives a firmer surface.
Storage
Keep Wegovy single-dose pens in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C), in the original carton to protect them from light, and never in the freezer or right beside the cooling element. Before the cap is removed, a pen can be kept between 46°F and 86°F (8°C to 30°C) for up to 28 days if needed. Throw the pen away if it has been frozen, exposed to light or to temperatures above 86°F, or out of the refrigerator for 28 days or longer. Wegovy HD follows the same rules. If a delivery arrives warm, ask the pharmacy before using it.
If you miss a dose
The Wegovy rule counts forward to your next dose, not back from the missed one. If your next scheduled dose is more than 2 days (48 hours) away, inject the missed dose as soon as possible. If it is less than 2 days away, skip the missed dose and inject on your usual day. If you miss 2 or more weeks in a row, the label asks your prescriber to restart you at a lower dose, because jumping straight back raises the risk of stomach side effects.
If you take too much
The label reports that overdoses with GLP-1 medicines have caused severe nausea, severe vomiting and severe low blood sugar. If you inject more than prescribed, contact the Poison Help line on 1-800-222-1222 or your prescriber straight away, and say which pen strength you used. Because semaglutide has a half-life of about one week, the label says a prolonged period of observation and treatment may be needed. Get emergency help if you cannot keep fluids down, or feel confused, shaky, sweaty or faint.
What to avoid
Do not use Wegovy alongside any other semaglutide product or another GLP-1 medicine; the label advises against it. Stop Wegovy at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy because of its long half-life. Avoid becoming dehydrated during bouts of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, which the label links to kidney injury. Tell any surgeon, dentist or anesthetist that you take it, because of reported aspiration during sedation. Never share a pen with anyone, even if the needle cover looks unused.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know the Wegovy injection is finished?
Watch the yellow bar in the pen window, not the clicks. The second click only means the injection is still going. The dose is complete when the yellow bar has stopped moving, which usually takes about 5 to 10 seconds from the first click. Keep the pen pressed against your skin until then, and lift it slowly. If you see medicine on your skin afterwards, you probably lifted too early; tell your prescriber rather than injecting again.
Is Wegovy HD 7.2 mg FDA-approved?
Yes. The June 2026 Wegovy prescribing information lists a 7.2 mg per 0.75 mL single-dose pen, marketed as Wegovy HD, for weight reduction in adults. It is not a starting dose. The label allows it only for adults who have tolerated 2.4 mg weekly for at least 4 weeks and for whom additional weight reduction is clinically indicated. It is not listed for the pediatric, cardiovascular or MASH maintenance doses, which stay at 2.4 mg or 1.7 mg.
Does the 7.2 mg dose have different side effects?
Mostly the same kinds, at somewhat higher rates. In the label's 72-week trials, nausea affected 39% on 7.2 mg, 35% on 2.4 mg and 13% on placebo, and vomiting 22%, 16% and 6%. The clearest difference is dysesthesia — tingling, burning or skin sensitivity — reported by 22% on 7.2 mg against 6% on 2.4 mg and 0.3% on placebo. Most people who reduced or paused the dose recovered, the label says. Report persistent skin sensations to your prescriber.
How long can a Wegovy pen stay out of the fridge?
Up to 28 days, provided the cap has not been removed and the temperature stays between 46°F and 86°F (8°C to 30°C). Keep it in the carton to shield it from light while it is out. After 28 days out of the refrigerator the pen must be thrown away, even if unused. A pen that has been frozen, or exposed to temperatures above 86°F, should be discarded straight away regardless of how long it was out.
Can I change my Wegovy injection day?
Yes. The Medication Guide allows you to change the day of the week as long as your last dose was given 2 or more days before. For example, moving from Monday to Thursday works, while moving from Monday to Tuesday of the same week does not. Once you inject on the new day, that becomes your regular weekly day. Keep your dose steps at least four weeks apart when you count forward from the new day.
Why did medicine leak out after my Wegovy injection?
Novo Nordisk's Instructions for Use give two causes: lifting the pen before the yellow bar stopped moving, or not pressing firmly enough for the whole injection. Next time, keep firm pressure until the bar stops, then lift slowly. If injecting your stomach is difficult, the IFU suggests a firmer site such as the thigh or upper arm, or standing while you inject. Do not inject a second pen to make up the loss without asking your prescriber.
Can I switch from the Wegovy pill to the pen?
Yes, the label covers both directions. To go from the 25 mg Wegovy tablet to the injection, start 2.4 mg weekly the day after your last tablet; if the 25 mg tablet was not tolerated, the label suggests 1.7 mg instead. Going the other way, start the 25 mg tablet one week after your last 2.4 mg injection. There is no switch listed for Wegovy HD. Your prescriber decides whether a switch suits you and which dose to start on.
Should I check my heart rate on Wegovy?
The label asks prescribers to monitor heart rate at regular intervals, because trials in adults saw average resting increases of 1 to 4 beats per minute on Wegovy injection. Tell your prescriber if you feel your heart racing or pounding at rest, or have palpitations that last. People with a known heart rhythm condition should mention it before starting, so their prescriber can decide how closely to follow it. Any chest pain or fainting needs urgent care, not a wait for the next appointment.
Sources
- Wegovy (semaglutide) injection and tablets prescribing information, Medication Guide and Instructions for Use, Novo Nordisk (revised 06/2026)
- How to use the Wegovy pen, Novo Nordisk
- Safely using sharps, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are not FDA-approved generics of the brand-name products. A licensed 503A compounding pharmacy prepares each one for a single prescription.
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