Independent. Not affiliated with Eli Lilly or Novo Nordisk.Not medical advice. Your prescriber decides your treatment.
GLP-1 Field GuidePractical help, sourced from the label

How to inject Wegovy, step by step

The Wegovy single-dose pen has a hidden needle and a preset dose, so there is nothing to attach or dial. Here is each step, summarized from Novo Nordisk's own instructions, so you can check it against the leaflet in your box.

Compiled by the GLP-1 Field Guide editorUpdated 5 min readSourced from official labels. Not yet clinically reviewed.
Key points
  • Inject once a week in the thigh, lower stomach or upper arm. Rotate the spot each week.
  • Pull the cap straight off. No needle to attach, no dose to dial.
  • Push firmly against your skin and keep pressing until the yellow bar stops moving, about 5 to 10 seconds.
  • You will hear 2 clicks. Do not stop at the clicks.
  • Use each pen once, then put it in a sharps container.

Which Wegovy do you have?

The US Wegovy label lists several forms:[2]

  • Single-dose pens, 0.25 mg up to 2.4 mg, plus the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD pen. One pen, one weekly dose. This guide covers these.
  • Wegovy FlexTouch, a multi-dose pen holding four 2.4 mg doses. See below.
  • Single-dose syringes. Follow the instructions that come with them.
  • Wegovy pills, taken by mouth. No injection.

Before you start

Check the pen

Wash your hands and check the pen. Do not use it if it looks used, if any part looks broken, if the medicine is not clear and colorless, or if the expiration date has passed.[1]

Choose your injection site

Inject into the front of your upper leg (thigh), your lower stomach, keeping 2 inches away from your belly button, or your upper arm. You can use the same body area each week, but not the exact same spot. Avoid skin that is tender, bruised, red or hard, and avoid scars and stretch marks.[1]

Clean the site and let the skin dry before injecting.[1] The freeinjection site logbook keeps track of where you went last.

Front
Back
Lower stomach and front of thighs, upper armsKeep 2 inches from the belly button
Where to inject Wegovy, from Novo Nordisk's instructions. Same area is fine, but not the exact same spot.

Step by step: single-dose pen

  1. Remove the cap

    Pull the pen cap straight off. The needle is hidden, so you do not see or handle it.

  2. Push the pen against your skin

    Push the pen firmly against your skin and keep applying pressure. The injection has started when the yellow bar begins moving and you hear the first click.

  3. Keep pressing until the yellow bar stops

    The injection takes about 5 to 10 seconds. You will hear 2 clicks. Do not stop after the clicks: keep pressing until the yellow bar has stopped moving. The yellow bar will not fill the entire window.

  4. Lift the pen away

    Slowly lift the pen away from your skin.

Summarized from Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pen instructions.[1]

After you inject

  • If you see a little blood, press lightly with a gauze pad or cotton ball.[1]
  • Each pen is for one-time use only.[1]
  • Do not throw the pen in your household trash or recycling. Use an FDA-cleared sharps disposal container, or a sturdy household container with a tight-fitting lid.[1]
  • Log the site so you can rotate next week.

Wegovy FlexTouch pen

Wegovy FlexTouch is a multi-dose pen that delivers four 2.4 mg doses.[2] It works differently from the single-dose pen, so follow the Instructions for Use that come in its carton, and ask your pharmacist to show you if you are unsure. The label says Wegovy FlexTouch is not recommended for self-injection by people who are visually impaired.[2]

For timing and missed doses, see our missed dose guide. The label says the time of day and the injection site can be changed without changing the dose.[3]

Common questions

How long do you hold the Wegovy pen against your skin?

Novo Nordisk says the injection takes about 5 to 10 seconds. You will hear 2 clicks. Keep pressing until the yellow bar in the pen window stops moving; don't stop after the clicks.

Where should I inject Wegovy?

The front of the thigh, the lower stomach (at least 2 inches from your belly button) or the upper arm. You can use the same area each week, but not the exact same spot.

Do I need to attach a needle to the Wegovy pen?

No. The single-dose pen has a hidden, built-in needle and a preset dose. There is nothing to attach or dial. The multi-dose Wegovy FlexTouch pen is different: follow the Instructions for Use that come with it.

The yellow bar did not fill the whole window. Did it work?

Novo Nordisk notes that the yellow bar will not fill the entire pen window. What matters is that you held the pen in place until the yellow bar stopped moving.

Can I throw the Wegovy pen in the trash?

No. Put it in an FDA-cleared sharps disposal container, or a sturdy household container with a tight-fitting lid, not your household trash or recycling.

Not medical adviceThis guide explains what the official instructions say. Your prescriber and pharmacist know your situation, so ask them if anything here does not match what you were told.

Sources

  1. Novo Nordisk. How to use the Wegovy pen. Revised n/a (web page). Last checked 2026-10-01.
  2. US National Library of Medicine. Wegovy (semaglutide) label on DailyMed. Revised 6/2026. Last checked 2026-10-01.
  3. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) Prescribing Information. Revised 06/2026. Last checked 2026-10-01.
Injection site logbookTrack your rotation. Wegovy sites include the upper arm.How to store WegovyThe 28-day room temperature allowance.Missed a Wegovy dose?The 2-day rule from the label.