Practical · US & Canada

Injection technique

Pending medical review

By Joshua Nichvolodoff · Fact-checked against sources November 2, 2026 · Next review due May 1, 2027

Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician. How review works · Editorial policy

Every injectable GLP-1 comes with Instructions for Use, and they are the authority for your device. Here are the points the labels have in common, and where they differ. Your pharmacist or nurse can show you in person.

Where to inject

Injection sites named in the US labels[3][1][2][4]
ItemSites
Ozempic, WegovyAbdomen, thigh or upper arm
Zepbound, MounjaroAbdomen or thigh; back of the upper arm if someone else injects

Rotating sites

The Ozempic label says to use a different injection site each week when injecting in the same body region[3]. Zepbound's vial instructions say to rotate within the area you choose to reduce the risk of skin changes (lipodystrophy and localized cutaneous amyloidosis), and to avoid skin that is pitted, thickened, lumpy, tender, bruised or scarred[5]. When you log an injection, the Light Years tracker suggests the next site in a simple rotation.

Needles and syringes

Ozempic's instructions say to use a new needle for every injection, hold the dose button and count 6 seconds, and store the pen without a needle attached[3]. Zepbound and Mounjaro vials need a new syringe and needle each time[2].

With insulin

If you also take insulin, the Ozempic label says to give separate injections, never mixed, and not right next to each other[3].

General information from product labels, not medical advice. Follow the Instructions for Use for your device. See also injection-site reactions.

Log each dose and see when the next one is due, on your device. Open my tracker or browse the other guides.

Sources

  1. WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection and tablets — current label (revised 6/2026). DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), June 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee06186f-2aa3-4990-a760-757579d8f77b. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  2. ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection — prescribing information, Medication Guide and Instructions for Use (revised 02/2026). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, February 2026. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/217806s042lbl.pdf. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  3. OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection — prescribing information (revised 05/2026). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, May 2026. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/209637s038lbl.pdf. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  4. MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection and KwikPen — current label (revised 8/2026). DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine), August 2026. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d2d7da5d-ad07-4228-955f-cf7e355c8cc0. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
  5. Instructions for Use: ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) single-dose vial (revised April 2026). Eli Lilly and Company, April 2026. https://pi.lilly.com/us/zepbound-vial-us-ifu.pdf. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text

Figures marked “as reported” are historical: they show what the source said on that date, not today's price or rule.

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Substantive corrections are also logged at corrections.

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