Wegovy Pen vs FlexTouch: What the Instructions for Use Cover

Short answer: Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection comes in three devices on the label: a single-dose pen with a hidden needle, a single-dose prefilled syringe, and the FlexTouch pen, which holds four weekly doses and takes a separate needle. Each is used differently. With the single-dose pen, the sign that the injection is over is the yellow bar stopping, not the second click. This page maps what the label and each Instructions for Use (IFU) cover; the IFU that comes with your own device is the final word.

What Wegovy devices does the label list?

Section 16 of the Wegovy label on DailyMed (updated June 18, 2026) lists cartons of 4 single-dose pens, 4 single-dose syringes with integrated needles, or 1 single-patient-use pen called Wegovy FlexTouch. The same label covers Wegovy tablets, which are swallowed rather than injected (see Wegovy pill: what the label says). It also lists Wegovy HD, a single-dose pen whose IFU describes the same steps as the standard pen.

Section 2.1 tells prescribers to say which presentation you will get, train you on that one, and make sure you are trained again and pointed to the new IFU if the presentation changes.

Device	What the label and IFU say	Separate needle?
Single-dose pen	“Your WEGOVY pen is for 1 time use only.” The dose is already set, and the needle stays hidden under a needle cover	No
Single-dose prefilled syringe	One complete dose per syringe; you pinch the skin and push a plunger	No: the needle is part of the syringe
Wegovy FlexTouch (single-patient-use pen)	“Each pen contains 4 fixed doses, one dose taken weekly”	Yes: NovoFine Plus needles come in the carton, and you use a new one for each injection

Which device you get, and its strength, is set by your prescriber, so strengths are not covered here.

How do you use the Wegovy single-dose pen?

The pen IFU (revised November 2025) has five steps: prepare, choose a site, pull the cap straight off, inject, and throw the pen away. Most questions are about Step 4.

• Starting: the injection starts when you push the needle cover firmly against your skin. The IFU says to “keep applying pressure until the yellow bar has stopped moving.” If the bar does not start, press more firmly.
• The clicks: you hear two. “Click 1: the injection has started.” “Click 2: the injection is ongoing.” The second click does not mean it is over; the yellow bar stopping does.
• Lifting the pen: if you lift too early or do not press firmly for the whole injection, medicine may appear on the skin or squirt from the needle, and you may not get your full dose. The needle cover locks when the pen leaves your skin, and “You cannot stop the injection and restart it later.”
• Before you start: do not use a pen that looks used, broken or dropped, if the medicine is not clear and colorless, or if the expiration date has passed. Keep the cap on until you are ready; the IFU says a pen stored without its cap, or with the cap pulled off and put back, is no longer sterile.

If you used a Zepbound® (tirzepatide) single-dose pen before, note the difference. The Zepbound pen IFU says “Second click = injection completed,” while the Wegovy pen IFU says the second click means the injection is still going. More on that device in Zepbound pen vs KwikPen.

How is the FlexTouch pen different?

FlexTouch is a dial-a-dose pen with a dose counter, closer in design to the Ozempic® (semaglutide) pen than to the single-dose Wegovy pen (see Ozempic pen and needles). The FlexTouch IFU (revised June 2026) says: “If you have been using a single-dose WEGOVY pen until now, please get familiar with your WEGOVY FlexTouch single-patient-use pen and needles.”

	Single-dose pen	FlexTouch
Doses per device	One; the whole pen goes into a sharps container after use	Four fixed weekly doses, and the dose selector only stops at that one dose. Medicine may be left after the fourth dose; the pen is still thrown away
Needle	Built in and hidden	A new needle each time. Remove both the outer and the inner needle cap, or “you will not inject any medicine”
First use	No extra step	Check the flow before the first dose from each new pen: turn to the flow check symbol and press until a drop appears at the needle tip
Setting the dose	Already set	Turn the dose selector until the counter stops at your dose. “Do not set the dose by counting the number of clicks you hear.” If the counter stops early, there is not enough medicine for a full dose; use a new pen
Injecting	Press against the skin until the yellow bar stops	Insert the needle, press and hold the dose button until the counter returns to zero, keep holding and “count slowly to 6,” then remove the needle
After	Pen into a sharps container	Unscrew the needle into a sharps container, put the pen cap back on, and store the pen without a needle

Section 5.11 of the label says FlexTouch “must never be shared between patients, even if the needle is changed.” The IFU adds that if you drop the pen or suspect a problem, you should attach a new needle and check the flow before you inject.

Where do you inject Wegovy?

Section 2.1 says to inject under the skin of the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm and to rotate injection sites with each dose. The Medication Guide adds: “Do not inject WEGOVY into a muscle (intramuscularly) or vein (intravenously).” Each IFU words the sites a little differently:

Device	Sites in its IFU
Single-dose pen	Front of the thighs, lower stomach (keep 2 inches away from the belly button), or upper arm. “You may inject in the same body area each week, but make sure it is not in the same spot each time”
Prefilled syringe	Stomach area at least 2 inches from the belly button, thighs, or the back of the upper arm “only with help from someone else”
FlexTouch	Upper arms, stomach or upper legs, 2 inches from the belly button, and not the same spot as the last injection

The pen IFU says to skip skin that is tender, bruised, red or hard, and to avoid scars and stretch marks. MedlinePlus gives the same three areas and says to use a different site for each injection. For rotation across brands, see GLP-1 injection sites.

Is there a best place to inject Wegovy?

The label does not rank the three areas. Section 2.1 says the time of day and the injection site “can be changed without the need for a dosage modification,” and the pen IFU says your healthcare provider can help you choose the site that suits you. The one practical tip in the pen IFU is for trouble injecting: change to a firmer site such as the upper leg or upper arm, or stand up when injecting into the lower stomach.

What if the yellow bar does not move or medicine leaks?

The pen IFU says that if the yellow bar does not start moving, or stops during the injection, you should contact your healthcare provider or Novo Nordisk at 1-833-934-6891. If medicine appears on the skin or squirts from the needle, it says to keep pressing until the bar stops next time and then lift the pen slowly. If blood appears, press the site lightly with gauze or a cotton ball.

For FlexTouch, the IFU says that if the counter does not return to zero while you press the button, the needle may be blocked or damaged, and “you have not received any medicine even though the dose counter has moved.” It then tells you to change the needle as in Step 1. Do not guess about a dose that may not have gone in; your prescriber or Novo Nordisk can tell you what to do next.

How do you store and throw away Wegovy pens?

The details are in Storing and traveling with GLP-1 pens and GLP-1 pen and needle disposal. The device differences on the label:

	Single-dose pen or syringe	FlexTouch
Refrigerator	36°F to 46°F in the original carton; never frozen	36°F to 46°F before first use; never frozen
Out of the refrigerator	Before the cap is removed, 46°F to 86°F in the carton for up to 28 days. The syringe IFU says to write down the date it came out of the refrigerator	After first use, up to 56 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Throw it away after 56 days, or if it was frozen, exposed to light, or above 86°F
Disposal	The whole pen or syringe goes into an FDA-cleared sharps disposal container right away	The needle goes into a sharps container after each injection; the used pen goes into a sharps container too

One detail differs between parts of the label: Section 16 and the Medication Guide give 59°F to 86°F for FlexTouch after first use, while the FlexTouch IFU gives 68°F to 77°F. If that difference matters for your home or a trip, ask your pharmacist which range to follow. The FDA also says not to put needles or other sharps in a recycling bin and to carry a portable sharps container when you travel.

Who should get help with a Wegovy pen?

Section 2.1 says a patient may self-inject after training if the healthcare provider decides it can be done properly, and that “WEGOVY FlexTouch is not recommended for self-administration by those who are visually impaired.” The single-dose pen IFU says people who are blind or have vision problems should not use the pen “without help from a person trained to use the WEGOVY pen.” The FlexTouch IFU says that if you cannot read the dose counter, you should get help from a person with good eyesight who is trained to use the pen.

Does Medicare cover the Wegovy pen?

Medicare.gov lists “Wegovy® (injection or tablet)” among the drugs covered by the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge starting July 1, 2026, with a $50 copayment for a one-month supply. The rules are dated and can change, so check Medicare.gov and see Does Medicare cover GLP-1 drugs?.

How can you keep track?

The FlexTouch IFU asks you to “use the table inside the lid of the carton to keep track of how many injections you have used and how many doses remain in your pen.” The syringe IFU asks you to record the date a syringe came out of the refrigerator. One log with the date, the injection site and the day you started a new pen covers all of that and helps at appointments. Weeko, a shot tracker coming to iPhone and Android, is designed for exactly this kind of log and gives no dosing guidance.

When to call your doctor

Ask your prescriber to show you how to use your device before the first injection, and again if the device changes. The Wegovy Medication Guide says to stop using Wegovy and call your healthcare provider right away for severe pain in your stomach area that will not go away, with or without nausea or vomiting. Get medical help right away for signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or feeling dizzy, or a very rapid heartbeat. Tell your provider about a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath, and tell all your healthcare providers you take Wegovy before surgery or a procedure with anesthesia or deep sedation. If you take too much, call your healthcare provider or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or go to the nearest emergency room right away.