This article covers what to tell a patient starting a once-weekly GLP-1 injection. It uses one product as its example, a once-weekly semaglutide injection, with every point drawn from its FDA prescribing information (revised March 2026). The same label also covers a once-daily tablet form with different instructions, and other GLP-1 medicines, including other semaglutide products, have their own labels, schedules, and warnings, so patient education should always follow the specific product's label.
The injection schedule
- The injection is taken once a week, on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals.
- If a dose is missed and the next scheduled dose is more than 2 days away, the label says to take the missed dose as soon as possible. If the next dose is less than 2 days away, skip the missed dose and resume on the regular day.
A rule like this matters days later, so it helps to write it down somewhere the patient can find it.
Common side effects
The most common side effects in the label (5 percent or more) include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, dysesthesia, headache, and fatigue, among others. Telling patients this in advance, and what to do about it, can help an expected side effect feel less like an emergency.
Warnings patients should know
- Dehydration and kidneys. The label notes postmarketing reports of acute kidney injury, in some cases requiring hemodialysis, mostly in patients whose nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea led to dehydration. Patients should know to tell their care team about nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that does not let up.
- Pancreatitis and gallbladder problems. Both appear in the label's warnings. Patients should know which symptoms, such as persistent or severe abdominal pain, mean they should call right away.
- Thyroid C-cell tumors. The label carries a boxed warning. It states that it is unknown whether the drug causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma, in humans, and it is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or with MEN 2.
- Anesthesia and sedation. The label notes rare postmarketing reports of pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation. Patients should tell their care team they take this medicine before any procedure.
After the visit
That is a lot of information for one visit, much of it needed days or weeks later, when the patient is home and the first side effect appears. Pairing the conversation with something the patient can return to, such as a short video reached by QR code, gives them the answer at the moment they need it.
Qik Productions makes GLP-1 education videos for clinics, pharmacies, and digital health programs, each reviewed by a specialized pharmacist. See how it works.
.webp)