> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Injection sites, rotation and sharps

> Where a GLP-1 injection goes, why the site is rotated, how pens are stored and handled, and what happens to the needle afterwards.

The weight-management pens prescribed through Hi-Doctor are all **subcutaneous**
injections — they go into the fatty layer just under the skin. The same three
sites apply to all of them, and the same rule about needles applies to all of
them.

<Warning>
  The patient information leaflet packed with your own pen, and your doctor's
  instructions, override this page. Presentations differ, and so do their
  handling instructions.
</Warning>

## The three sites

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Abdomen" icon="circle-dot">
    The soft area either side of the navel.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Thigh" icon="person">
    The front and outer part of the upper leg.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Upper arm" icon="hand">
    The outer back of the upper arm.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

Every one of the pens — [Wegovy](/library/guides/how-to-inject-wegovy),
[Mounjaro](/library/guides/how-to-inject-mounjaro),
[Saxenda](/library/guides/how-to-inject-saxenda) and
[Ozempic](/library/guides/how-to-inject-ozempic) — uses the abdomen, thigh or
upper arm.

## Rotate

Rotate between abdomen, thigh or upper arm each week. Rotating spreads the
repeated needle punctures across different skin rather than concentrating them
in one patch.

Within a site, move to a slightly different spot rather than reusing the exact
same point. Keep away from skin that is bruised, tender, broken or scarred.

## Not into a vein, not into muscle

These medicines are injected **just under the skin**. Do not inject into a vein
or into muscle. If a site has very little fat, gently pinching a fold of skin
before the needle goes in helps keep the injection in the right layer.

Clean the area with an alcohol swab and let it dry before injecting. A wet swab
stings.

## One needle, one injection

A needle has a short, fixed life, and it runs in this order every time.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Attach a new needle every time">
    Needles are single-use. A reused needle is blunter, dirtier and more likely
    to hurt.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Remove the needle after each injection">
    Do not leave a needle attached to a stored pen.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Drop it into a sharps container">
    A rigid, puncture-proof sharps container — not a household bin, not a
    plastic bottle, not a food container.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Never reuse or share">
    Needles are never reused. Pens are never shared between people.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Your pharmacy can tell you how full sharps containers are collected or returned
where you live; the arrangement differs by country. See
[where Hi-Doctor operates](/essentials/regions).

## Handling the pen itself

* **Do not shake the pen.**
* Check the liquid before injecting. If it does not look the way your leaflet
  describes, do not use that pen.
* Store unused pens in the refrigerator (2–8°C). Once opened, keep at room
  temperature below 30°C for up to 30 days. Do not freeze. Keep away from direct
  heat and light. This is the storage rule published for Wegovy, Mounjaro and
  Saxenda — check your own leaflet for the pen in your hand.

<Tip>
  Knowing how long a pen lasts matters for planning. If a pen will run out before
  your next prescription, raise it in your account chat early rather than
  stretching doses.
</Tip>

## When something goes wrong at the site

Tell the medical team through your message thread if a site becomes persistently
red, swollen, painful or lumpy, or if you see signs of an allergic reaction such
as rash, itching or swelling of the face or throat. Report a suspected side
effect even if you are not sure the treatment caused it — see
[Safety](/essentials/safety).

Related: [what to expect in the first month](/library/guides/what-to-expect-first-month) ·
[missed or late doses](/library/guides/missed-dose) ·
[how Hi-Doctor works](/essentials/how-it-works)

## Start a consultation

<Card title="Weight-loss consultation" icon="stethoscope" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/weight-loss/1">
  Answer the weight-loss questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
  They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
  and declining is a normal outcome. See [what it costs](/essentials/pricing)
  and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-works).
</Card>

<Warning>
  This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription.
  Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor
  after reviewing your consultation.
</Warning>