Mounjaro pen (KwikPen): how to use, inject and store it

Which Mounjaro pens are there? The strengths at a glance

There are six strengths of the Mounjaro KwikPen: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg per weekly dose. Each pen contains 4 doses of the same strength. The strength is on the label and on the box; check it against your prescription before every injection.

The schedule from the Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas (the Dutch national drug formulary) of Zorginstituut Nederland (the Dutch National Health Care Institute) is: start with 2.5 mg per week, increase to 5 mg after 4 weeks, then in steps of 2.5 mg after at least 4 weeks each time, up to a maximum of 15 mg per week. The 2.5 mg pen is a starting dose and is not intended as a maintenance dose.

Your doctor decides which strength you use and when you move up a step, based on your response and any side effects. By no means everyone needs the highest strength. The complete dosing schedule and the considerations involved are in the article on Mounjaro dosage. Read more in how fast does Mounjaro work.

How long does 1 Mounjaro pen last?

One Mounjaro KwikPen lasts 4 weeks, because the pen contains 4 weekly doses. After the fourth injection you throw the pen away, even if you can still see liquid in the cartridge. That remainder is an overfill for priming the pen and making it work, not a fifth dose.

The manufacturer has designed the pen so that you cannot set a full dose any more after 4 doses. Do not try to inject the remainder anyway: you will then get an incomplete dose and not know how much you have had. You can read more about that remainder in the article on the Mounjaro golden dose.

There is also a second limit: you throw away a pen in use 30 days after the first injection, regardless of the number of doses used. If you inject on the same day every week, you automatically stay within that period.

Using the Mounjaro KwikPen: injecting step by step

Injecting with the KwikPen consists of three parts: preparing and priming the pen, setting the dose and injecting, and tidying up. The steps below follow the official instructions for use from the patient information leaflet. Preferably do your first injection after your doctor or pharmacist has shown you how.

Preparing and priming

1. Wash your hands with soap and water and take the pen out of the fridge.
2. Pull the pen cap straight off. Check the name, strength and expiry date on the label. The liquid should be colourless to pale yellow, without particles.
3. Wipe the red inner seal clean with an alcohol swab.
4. Take a new pen needle, remove the paper tab and screw the needle straight and firmly onto the pen.
5. Take off the outer needle shield and keep it; throw away the inner shield.
6. Turn the dose knob until you hear 2 clicks and the long line appears in the dose window. This is the priming position.
7. Hold the pen with the needle pointing up, tap the cartridge holder gently and press the dose knob in until it stops. Count to 5. If you see a drop at the tip of the needle, the pen is primed.

Setting the dose and injecting

1. Choose an injection site (see the next section) and clean the skin.
2. Turn the dose knob until it stops and the dose symbol appears in the window. That symbol is one full dose.
3. Insert the needle straight into your skin and press the dose knob in until it stops. Keep the knob pressed and count slowly to 5.
4. Remove the needle from your skin. A drop of medicine at the tip of the needle is normal and does not affect your dose. Check that the dose symbol is in the window: then you have had the full dose.

Tidying up

1. If you see a drop of blood, press gently with a gauze pad. Do not rub.
2. Carefully put the outer needle shield back on, unscrew the needle and throw it into a sharps container.
3. Put the pen cap back on the pen. Never store the pen with a needle attached and never without its cap.

Looking for an instruction video? Only use the manufacturer's official instructions or your pharmacy's explanation. Videos by users sometimes differ from the patient information leaflet.

Where do you inject Mounjaro?

You inject Mounjaro under the skin of your abdomen or your thigh. Someone else can also give the injection in the back of your upper arm. On your abdomen, keep at least 5 cm away from your navel.

Change your injection site every week. You may use the same body area, but then choose a different spot within that area. This prevents hardened or irritated patches. Do not inject into skin that is painful, bruised, red or hardened.

Mounjaro goes into the fatty tissue under the skin, not into a muscle or a vein. With a short pen needle and the pen held straight on the skin, the injection automatically reaches the right depth. Pinching a fold of skin is usually not necessary with short needles; follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice on this.

Which needles fit the Mounjaro KwikPen?

Standard pen needles for insulin pens, with a screw thread and a short needle length, fit the Mounjaro KwikPen. The needles are not included in the pack. Your pharmacy supplies them on prescription, usually together with the pen, and advises you on the right length and thickness.

Use a new needle for every injection. A used needle becomes blunt, can get blocked and increases the chance of infection or a painful injection. Also never store the pen with the needle attached: air can then get into the cartridge or medicine can leak out.

Not sure which needle to use? Ask your pharmacist or doctor, exactly as the patient information leaflet advises. Only buy needles and pens through the pharmacy; how the legal route works is in the article on how to buy Mounjaro.

Storing Mounjaro: fridge, shelf life and travel

Store unused Mounjaro pens in the fridge at 2 to 8 °C, in the original box to protect them from light. Throw away a pen that has been frozen, even if the liquid looks normal. Unopened pens in the fridge keep until the date on the label.

You may store a pen in use in the fridge or outside the fridge at a temperature below 30 °C. Throw it away 30 days after the first injection, even if there is still medicine in it. So at normal room temperature, a pen can easily be kept outside the fridge for a month.

Going travelling? Carry the pen in a cool bag if the journey is long or it is hot, and never put it directly on an ice pack or in the freezer. On a plane, take the pen in your hand luggage. A statement from your doctor or pharmacy prevents questions at security.

Thinking about medication, but first want to know what a supervised programme involves? The doctor assesses whether medical weight loss suits you and supports your use of the pen from the first injection. Read more about medical weight loss with injections →

Missed a dose or used too much: what do you do?

You should still take a forgotten dose of Mounjaro if you can do so within 4 days of the planned time. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the dose and inject the next dose on your usual day. Never take two doses within 3 days to make up for a missed dose. Read more about the Mounjaro diet.

The patient information website Apotheek.nl of the Dutch pharmacists' organisation KNMP takes the same line: if it is still 3 days or more until your next injection, take the forgotten dose after all; if it is less, skip it. If in doubt, call your doctor.

Want to change your injection day? That is possible, as long as there are at least 3 days between two doses. If you have accidentally injected too much, for example twice on one day, contact your doctor straight away. Severe nausea, vomiting or low blood sugar can then occur.

Side effects of the Mounjaro pen and when to call your doctor

The most common side effects of Mounjaro are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain and tiredness, especially in the weeks after a dose increase. In people who also use a sulphonylurea or insulin, low blood sugar occurs. Reactions at the injection site, such as redness or itching, are usually mild and short-lived.

These side effects are listed in the registration information in the Geneesmiddeleninformatiebank of the CBG, the College ter Beoordeling van Geneesmiddelen (the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board). Mounjaro is registered there as "prescription only" (uitsluitend recept): before you start, a doctor assesses whether the medication suits you and monitors you during use.

Call your doctor straight away if you have severe, persistent abdominal pain that radiates to your back, persistent vomiting that dehydrates you, signs of an allergic reaction or complaints that fit gallstones. These are rare but serious side effects. In a medical weight loss with injections programme, you have your own doctor for this whom you can reach directly.

A full overview, including what you can do yourself about nausea, is in the article on Mounjaro side effects.

Tried all sorts of things and wondering whether a medical programme suits you? A few questions show you where you stand, after which the doctor assesses your situation. Take the eligibility check →

Frequently asked questions about the Mounjaro KwikPen

How long does 1 Mounjaro pen last?

One Mounjaro KwikPen contains 4 weekly doses, so it lasts you 4 weeks. After the fourth injection you throw the pen away, even if there is still liquid in it. In addition, a pen in use can be used for a maximum of 30 days after the first injection.

How do you inject Mounjaro?

You attach a new pen needle to the pen, prime the pen, turn the dose knob to the dose symbol, insert the needle into the skin of your abdomen or thigh and keep the dose knob pressed for a count of 5. Then check that the dose symbol is in the window. The full steps are above and in the patient information leaflet.

What are the side effects of the Mounjaro pen?

The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain and tiredness, especially after a dose increase. Reactions at the injection site are usually mild. Serious side effects such as pancreatitis are rare; if you have severe abdominal pain, call your doctor straight away.

Can a GP prescribe Mounjaro?

Yes, a GP (huisarts) may prescribe Mounjaro, but the GP guideline is cautious about weight loss medication in primary care. In practice, a prescription for weight loss often goes through a specialised doctor. How this works is in the article on weight loss medication from your GP.

What does a Mounjaro KwikPen cost?

The pharmacy price of a Mounjaro KwikPen varies per strength and is not reimbursed when used for weight loss. The current amounts per strength, with the reference date, are in the article on the Mounjaro price.

Is Mounjaro stronger than Ozempic?

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) acts on two hormone receptors, Ozempic (semaglutide) on one. In research, tirzepatide gave more weight loss on average, but which medication suits you depends on your health and your response to the medication. The comparison is in the article Mounjaro vs Ozempic.

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