Weight management
Storing and handling your treatment
Temperature, travel, technique and sharps — the practical side nobody covers properly.
Temperature
Store between 2°C and 8°C in a fridge, away from the back wall where things freeze and away from the door where the temperature swings. Never freeze it. A pen that has frozen must be discarded, whatever it looks like.
Check the patient information leaflet for how long your specific product may be kept at room temperature — there is usually a defined window, after which it must be used or discarded.
Travelling
Carry it in hand luggage, never in the hold, where temperatures drop below freezing. Use an insulated case with a cool pack that is not in direct contact with the pen. Take your prescription paperwork or a letter from the prescriber for airport security.
Injection technique
Subcutaneous injection into the abdomen at least five centimetres from the navel, the front of the thigh, or the back of the upper arm. Rotate the site each week. Clean the skin and let it dry. Inject at a right angle for pen devices, hold for the full count stated in the instructions, then withdraw.
Sharps
Used pens and needles go into a proper sharps bin, never in household waste or recycling. Your pharmacy or council will advise on collection or exchange arrangements locally. Never put a needle back in a bin bag, and never share a pen, even with a new needle.
General information only. This article is not personal medical advice. Speak to a prescriber, pharmacist or your GP about your own circumstances.
