How to Take Mounjaro® Injections

What is Mounjaro®?

Mounjaro is a dual-action injectable weight loss pen that is approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as a safe and effective weight loss medication.

Mounjaro contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which mimics GLP-1 and GIP hormones. This helps support weight loss by reducing hunger, slowing down gastric emptying to make you feel fuller, and stimulating the release of insulin after eating.

Our experts have compiled this detailed guide on how to inject Mounjaro at home, as well as the best injection sites to administer Mounjaro.

How to safely inject Mounjaro

Mounjaro should be injected into the upper legs, stomach area (abdomen), or upper arms.

We recommend injecting the first dose into the stomach (keeping a 5cm distance from the belly button) as it has more fat and fewer nerves, making it easier and less painful to administer the dose.

It is also recommended to rotate injection sites after each dose to avoid skin irritation.

Step 1: Prepare your Mounjaro pen

1. Select the pen with the correct dose. Take off the pen cap and check your pen - make sure that you have the right dose and the pen is not damaged or expired. Check that the medicine isn’t discoloured (it should be clear and colourless, you will be able to see the injection liquid through the pen window).
2. Wash your hands with warm water and soap, and sanitise the injection site with an alcohol wipe before administering your injection.
3. Wipe the red inner seal in the pen cartridge with a swab.
4. Take the needle provided with your Mounjaro order and tear off the paper tab. Push the capped needle straight into the pen and twist it until it's tight. Always use a new needle each time you inject the medication.
5. When you are ready to inject Mounjaro, remove the two caps that cover the needle. Keep the outer cap as you will need it later, and discard the inner cap. Check that the needle isn’t damaged or bent before you inject it.
6. You will need to prime the Mounjaro pen before every injection. To start priming your pen, slowly turn the dose knob until you hear 2 clicks, and see the extended line [- --] in the dosage window. Then, hold the pen with the needle pointing up and gently tap the cartridge holder to collect all air bubbles at the top. Gently push the dose knob to release some medicine into the air, and then slowly count to 5 while still holding the dose knob. After 5 seconds, you should see the [-O] icon in the dose window. Never inject the priming dose into your body. If you don’t see any medication come out of the needle, repeat this step again, no more than 2 more times. If you still can’t see any medication coming out of the needle, change the needle and try again once more - do not use the pen if a drop still does not appear after the last attempt.

Step 2: Choose a place to inject

1. Mounjaro can be injected into the upper legs, the stomach area (abdomen) or the upper arms.
2. We recommend injecting the first dose into the stomach (keeping a 5cm distance from the belly button) as it has more fat and fewer nerves, making it easier and less painful to administer the dose.
3. Make sure to rotate injection sites after each dose to avoid skin irritation.
4. Always wash your hands and sanitise the injection site with an alcohol wipe before injecting Mounjaro.
5. Make sure you are in a comfortable position and can clearly see the pen window during injection.
6. Do not inject the pen into bruised or irritated skin.

Step 3: Inject Mounjaro

1. Turn the dose knob until you see the correct dose in the dose counter window.
2. Push the pen firmly against your skin at a 90-degree angle. Make sure that the dose counter window is still visible.
3. Startup pushing the dose knob while keeping the pen firmly against your skin for 5 seconds until “-0” shows in the dose counter window, which indicates that the full dose has been administered. After this step, the pen needle can be gently removed.
4. Please note that removing the needle too soon might result in preventing the full dose from being administered. If you do not see the [-0] icon in the dose window, insert the needle again and finish the injection. Do not redial the dose knob.
5. If you notice any bleeding, gently press a cotton ball against the skin.

Step 4: Dispose of your treatment safely

1. Carefully guide the needle into the outer cap that you have kept without touching it. Once the needle is covered, push the cap on completely.
2. Gently unscrew the needle and dispose of it in the provided sharps bin.
3. Put the pen cap back on and store the pen away from light.
4. Do not try to put the inner cap back on the needle, as this can lead to needle injury.
5. After your last (4th) pen injection, dispose of your empty pen without its needle.