Ozempic (semaglutide) is a widely used injectable medication for managing diabetes that comes in easy-to-use prefilled injection pens.
Whether you've been prescribed Ozempic 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg (red label pens) 1 mg (blue label pen) or 2 mg (yellow label pen), each Ozempic pen contains 4 doses, equaling 4 weeks of treatment.
Despite the precision of the dosing applicator, many patients get confused or worried about when their Ozempic pen is empty. Tracking each dose not only helps maintain your semaglutide injection schedule but also determine when to start using a new pen.
In this article, we'll walk you through how to recognise when your Ozempic pen is empty and what steps you should take once it's used up:
- How to know when your Ozempic pen is empty?
- How to check how many doses are left?
- What if the pen does not look empty after 4 doses?
- How to dispose of your empty Ozempic pens?
How Do I Know When My Ozempic Pen is Empty?
As mentioned above, a single Ozempic pen typically contains 4 doses, enough medication for 4 weeks, assuming a standard once-weekly injection regimen.
Only the first Ozempic pen that you'll receive contain 6 doses: four first doses of 0.25 mg and two doses of 0.5 mg. After that, all your pens will contain four doses.
Each Ozempic pen has a built-in dose counter and a viewing window to help you know how many doses are left and when your pen is empty. If you can't turn the dose selector, it means that your Ozempic pen is empty.
Related article: Does Ozempic Need to Be Refrigerated? Storage and Refrigeration Tips!
How to check how many doses are left?
To check how much Ozempic is left in your pen, you can use the dose selector found on the front of your pen between the label and the dose pointer.
For example, if you use a 0.5 mg Ozempic pen, turn the dose selector until it stops. If the dose counter shows 0.5 it means that there's at least 0.5 mg of Ozempic left in your pen. However, if the counter stops before, you do not have enough left for a full 0.5 mg dose.
What Does an Empty Ozempic Pen Look Like?
An empty Ozempic pen is relatively easy to identify. Once you've used the allotted number of doses, the dosage knob is blocked and won't turn. The dose counter on the pen shows zero, indicating there are no doses left.
Additionally, if you attempt to administer a dose from an empty Ozempic pen, you'll notice that the mechanism does not engage or seems inactive.
Related article: Ozempic Pen Not Working: Malfunctions and Troubleshooting Steps.
What If the Pen Does Not Look Empty After 4 Doses?
It's possible to find that your Ozempic pen doesn't seem empty after its last dose-perhaps the dose counter doesn't read zero, or you can see that there's still medication left inside.
If this occurs, do not use the pen. Using an Ozempic pen beyond its intended number of doses can lead to incorrect dosing. The leftovers aren't enough for a full dose and injecting a partial dose could significantly impact your treatment. Instead, use a new, full Ozempic pen.
Related article: How to Travel with Ozempic: Travel Cases and Flying Tips!
What to Do with Your Empty Ozempic Pens?
Once your Ozempic pen is empty, you should immediately dispose of it to avoid any confusion with full pens. But injection pens are considered sharps and must be disposed of responsibly.
How to dispose of Ozempic pens?
- Ozempic pens should be disposed of in a sharps bins, specially designed to handle medical waste such as injection needles and pens.
- If you do not have a sharps container, you can use a heavy-duty plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, such as a laundry detergent container. Once the container is full, seal it and label it as "sharps."
- Consult local regulations. Ask your local trash removal services or health department about safe sharps disposable programs in your area. In the UK, there are supervised collection sites at doctor's offices, hospitals, or pharmacies.
We'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts!
Comment below with your experiences, share this article if you found it helpful, and ask any questions you might have about your empty Ozempic pens!
