How to use Mounjaro

Before taking your first dose, your Mounjaro Kwikpen should be stored in the fridge between 2-8 degrees Centigrade. Your unused pen is safe to use through to the expiry date printed on the label if it is stored in the fridge in this way. Any unused pens should be kept refrigerated.

Once you have taken your first dose from a Mounjaro Kwikpen, you can then keep the pen at room temperature up to 30 degrees centigrade. Ensure you keep away from sources of heat e.g. a radiator, and that your Pen and needles are kept out of the reach of children at all times. 

Do not freeze Mounjaro. If a pen has been frozen, it must be disposed of.

Your used pen needs to be disposed of 30 days after you first use it, and the pen should be disposed of after you have used it for 4 of your weekly doses.

After 4 doses, your Mounjaro Kwikpen will have some liquid remaining in the clear vial section, and the plunger will not be all the way through the tube – this is normal and expected.

There are no wasted dosages, and you will receive the correct dosage of treatment each time. The Mounjaro Kwikpen will no longer prime / be dialled up to 1 when all 4 dosages have been used.

After each dose, dispose of your used needles in a sharps bin straight away. Once you have finished your 4 doses, dispose of your empty pen in your household bin after you have removed the needle.

Only the needle must be put in the sharps bin – the rest of the pen, caps etc can be disposed of in the household waste.

Arrangements for disposing of full sharps bins vary depending on where you live. Your local council or pharmacy will likely be responsible for collecting your full sharps bin. You can find out more from your local council’s website. Local councils can charge for this service, but most do not. Find your local council: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council 

Mounjaro is supplied in a multi-dose injection pen. Each pen contains four doses, designed to be taken once a week. You use the same pen for four injections before switching to a new one.

Before each weekly dose, you attach a new needle to the pen. The needle is removed and discarded immediately after each injection. A needle should never be reused.

The pen has a dial that allows you to set the prescribed dose. You turn the dial until the correct number aligns with the dose window. Once the dose is set, the pen delivers that exact amount when the injection button is pressed.

Most people need to prime a new pen the first time they use it. This involves selecting a small test dose and pressing the button to ensure the pen is working correctly and removing any air from the system. After this first priming step, the pen is ready for normal use.

Each week, you:

1. attach a new needle
2. dial the prescribed weekly dose
3. inject the dose following the standard injection technique
4. remove and safely discard the needle
5. replace the pen cap and store the pen correctly until the next dose

See the “step-by-step instructions” section below for more details.

There are three approved injection areas:

• the abdomen
• the front of the thigh
• the upper arm (if another person gives the injection)

Choose a place with soft tissue. If injecting into the abdomen, stay at least 5 centimetres away from the navel. Avoid injecting into areas that are bruised, hardened, scarred, or irritated.

Rotate injection sites to reduce the risk of skin irritation. You can rotate within the same general area as long as you avoid the exact spot used the previous week.

Most people find the abdomen or thigh easiest because these areas allow stable positioning and good visibility. The upper arm is suitable only when someone else can administer the injection. There is no universal best site. The ideal site is whichever area you can reach comfortably and inject safely while rotating the location each week.

Before you start, ensure you have read the information guide and patient information leaflet that came with your medication, so that you are comfortable with both the medication and how to administer an injection.

• An online version of the Patient Information Leaflet is available here
• An online version of the Manufacturers Instructions for Use is available here
• A video from the Manufacturer on how to prepare and use the pen is available here

Below is a step by step guide to injecting a dosage from your Pen. It is important to follow the steps each time, and to ensure a new needle is used for each dosage each week.

For a version of this step by step guide with images, please visit our help page “How to use your Mounjaro KwikPen.”

• Wash your hands with soap and water.
• Remove the Mounjaro Kwikpen from the packaging and check the expiration date before use, including any additional information about the expiration date sent to you with the medication.
• Before injecting, ensure that you have a clean and dry area of skin on your stomach, thigh, or upper arm.
• Remove the cap from the Mounjaro Kwikpen
• Select a new pen needle, and pull off the paper tab from the outer needle shield. 
• Always use a new pen needle for each injection to help prevent infections and blocked needles.
• Push the capped pen needle straight onto the pen and twist the pen needle on until it is tight.
• Pull off the outer shield and keep it. This will be reused to remove the needle when you have injected your dose.
• Pull off the inner shield and dispose of it in your household bin.
• Slowly turn the dose knob until you hear 2 clicks and see the extended line in the dose window. This is the prime position. It can be corrected by turning the dose knob in either direction until the prime position lines up with the dose indicator. 
• When priming your pen, do not fully turn the dial until the 1 is showing, as this will waste significant amounts of your Pen’s total dosages. You only need to turn the dial 2 clicks until the extended line is showing on the dial.
• Hold your pen with the needle pointing up, and tap the cartridge holder gently to move the air bubbles to the top.
• Release a small amount of medicine into the air by pushing the dose knob in until it stops, then slowly count to 5 while holding the dose knob. The 0 icon must be shown in the dose window. Do not inject it into your body yet.
• Choose an injection site in your thigh or stomach (at least 5 cm from the belly button). If someone else is giving you the injection, they can also use the back of your upper arm, and make sure it is clean and dry.
• Turn the dose knob until it stops and the 1 icon is shown in the dose window, this is equal to a full dose. 
• Hold the pen firmly against the skin at a 90-degree angle and press the button on top of the pen to release the needle.
• Once the needle is inserted, hold the pen in place while pushing the button for at least 5 seconds until the 0 icon is showing in the dose window, then release the button to retract the needle.
• Carefully replace the outer needle shield, and unscrew the capped needle and dispose of it in the sharps container provided. Failing to do this before replacing the cap can lead to your pen being damaged and unusable.
• Finally, once you have unscrewed the needle, replace the pen cap and store the pen.

Mounjaro is taken once a week. A Mounjaro Kwikpen is a multi-dose, pre-filled pen and contains 4 weekly doses. So each Kwikpen lasts 28 days. One dose is to be taken each week, ideally at the same day and time each week. Do not exceed the stated dose or frequency.

Each Mounjaro pen contains four doses. These are delivered over four weeks. You cannot extract extra doses and you cannot reuse the pen once the four doses have been completed. When the final weekly dose has been delivered, dispose of the pen safely and start a new pen at your next scheduled injection date.

If you miss your scheduled weekly injection:

• You can take the missed dose within four days of your usual injection day.
• If more than four days have passed, skip the missed dose and take your next dose on your normal day.
• Do not take two doses in the same week.

If you are missing doses frequently, speak with your clinician so they can review your plan.

When travelling:

• Keep unused pens in an insulated pouch with a medical-grade cold pack if needed.
• Avoid placing pens directly against ice packs.
• Carry pens in hand luggage to reduce exposure to temperature changes.
• Keep the pen in its original packaging with prescription details visible.
• If travelling for more than four weeks, take enough pens to cover the full period.

See our help guide on How to use your Mounjaro Kwikpen

Need more help? Contact our team.