Key takeaways
We know you’re excited to start treatment. But before your first shot, take the time to read through instructions on how to inject your compounded GLP-1. Please do not hesitate to contact our medical support team in your Ro account chat if you have any questions.
Here's what we'll cover
Here's what we'll cover
Key takeaways
We know you’re excited to start treatment. But before your first shot, take the time to read through instructions on how to inject your compounded GLP-1. Please do not hesitate to contact our medical support team in your Ro account chat if you have any questions.
Watch: How to inject compounded semaglutide
When your medication arrives
1. Inspect
Make sure it is clear, colorless, and doesn’t appear crystalized.
2. Refrigerate
Pop the prescription bottle with the medication vial inside into the fridge.
Prep for your injection
1. Wash your hands
2. Get organized
Make sure you have everything in one spot:
1 Prescription bottle
1 Vial of medication
1 Sterile syringe with needle
2 Alcohol wipes
1 Vial seal sticker
3. Double-check
Make sure the expiration date and the dose on the prescription bottle are correct. There may only be a small amount of medication (especially for lower doses) but it should be enough.
*Discard any unused medication 28 days after first using the vial or when the expiration date has passed, whichever comes first.
Prep the syringe
1. Gently shake and clean the vial
If it's new, remove the plastic cap or, for a metal cap, remove the center circle and leave the rest of the cap in place. If it's not new, remove the seal sticker you placed before. Now, clean the top of the vial with an alcohol wipe.
2. Separate the syringe
Remove the caps from both the plunger and the needle. Don’t touch the needle (it’s important to keep it sterile).
Fill the syringe
Before you start, use the chart below to reference how many units to draw for your dose.
Compounded semaglutide dosage | How much to draw |
0.25 mg (0.1 mL) | 10 units, once a week |
0.5 mg (0.2 mL) | 20 units, once a week |
1 mg (0.4 mL) | 40 units, once a week |
1.7 mg (0.68 mL) | 68 units, once a week |
2 mg (0.8 mL) | 80 units, once a week |
2.4 mg (0.96 mL) | 96 units, once a week |
Hold the syringe with the needle pointing up, and pull the plunger down to fill it with air up to the unit line for your dose. For example, if your dose is 0.25 mg, pull the plunger of the syringe down to the 10 units mark.
While the vial is on a flat surface, insert the needle into the vial and inject all of the air you just added. This makes the next step easier!
Turn the vial upside down with the needle still inside. Make sure the needle tip is surrounded by liquid!
Pull the plunger a little past the unit line for your dose. For example, if your dose is 10 units, pull the plunger back beyond the 10 units mark.
Flick the syringe with your finger to remove any air bubbles.
Push the plunger back up to your dose amount. For example, if your dose is 10 units, push the plunger to the 10 units mark.
Remove the syringe from the vial. You can put the syringe down by resting it on the needle cap so the tip of the needle doesn’t touch anything.
Apply a new vial seal sticker to the cap of the vial after each use, pressing firmly on the sticker. This helps prevent contamination.
Injection time
1. Choose your spot
You can inject in your abdomen (at least two inches away from your belly button), thigh (front or outer thigh), or upper arm. Make sure to choose a spot that’s at least one finger’s width from the last injection spot.
Moving injection spots is important to minimize the formation of permanent, fatty nodules that can arise and decrease the efficacy of your treatment.
2. Clean your skin
Wipe your skin with an alcohol wipe and let it dry.
3. Remove air
Hold the syringe with the needle facing up. Push the plunger slightly until a drop of liquid forms at the end of the needle.
4. Pinch, push, inject
Pinch your skin and quickly push the needle into the tissue, making sure to insert the full length of the needle. Then, slowly push the plunger to inject all of the medication.
If someone else is helping, you can do the pinching while they do the injecting. Teamwork!
5. Remove needle
Pull the needle out. It’s normal to see a drop of blood at the injection spot. If there is, press gently on the site with an alcohol wipe for a few seconds for the bleeding to stop.
Whew! You did it.
Discard the syringe
Make sure to dispose of the syringe in a sharps container or a heavy plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (like an empty detergent bottle). Once your container is full, bring it to a local pharmacy – they usually have an area for safe disposal.