Troubleshooting & Patient Guide

 

Leaking Pen

Issue: Leakage from the pen when attaching the needle, dialling the dose, after priming, or at the injection site.

Learn More:

  • It's completely normal to see a small drop of liquid at the tip of the needle or on the skin.
  • Please avoid pressing the dose knob without a needle attached or with a used needle, as this can create pressure in the pen and lead to a damaged septum, which may cause leakage when attaching the needle.
  • For Mounjaro, make sure to keep the pen in contact with the skin for at least 5 seconds after fully pressing down the dose knob to ensure the full dose is delivered.
  • For Wegovy, keep the pen in contact with the skin for at least 6 seconds after fully pressing down the dose knob to ensure the full dose is delivered.
  • Try not to pinch the skin too hard or continue pinching after the injection, as this may cause the medication to leak from the skin.
  • It's best not to store a pen with the needle attached, as this can lead to medication leaking from the pen and create a large air bubble.
  • When dialling the dose, please do not press the dose knob, as this might accidentally release a small amount of medication.
  • If the pen feels wet right after taking it out of the fridge, it could just be condensation rather than a leak.

 

 

Jammed Pen

Issue: The dose knob cannot be pressed down, cannot be turned/dialled or has muted or no clicks when turning

Learn More:

  1. Needle-related Issue

    a) Do not store the pen with the needle attached. Do not reuse the needles as it may lead to the use of clogged or bent needles.

    b) Reused needles may become clogged with human tissue or dried medication residue.

    c) New needles are coated with silicone to provide a more comfortable injection — sometimes the silicon will plug the needle.

  2. Priming-related Issue

    a) The pen must be primed to make sure the patient receives their dose. Priming the pen ensures there is no material (e.g., dried medication or blood, human tissue, and/or silicone) in the needle pathway to block medication delivery and no air in the medication cartridge.

  3. Pressurised Cartridge

    a) The cartridge will be come pressurised, and pen will jam if a dose is dialled and injection attempted without a needle attached to the pen or after the medication is injected.

  4. Inadequate Remaining Volume to Dial Complete Dose
    If the patient primes the pen more than necessary over the course of treatment, they may be unable to dial out to the Dosing Position “1” for the fourth and final dose. This is due to the Insufficient Remaining Dose (IRD) stop feature, which prevents the dose knob from dialling out if there is not enough medication left to deliver a full dose. A indication of this issue is when the plunger is positioned at the lowest mark, suggesting the pen has been fully used, even though the patient has administered fewer than four doses.



    Troubleshooting

    1. Start by attaching a new pen needle.
    2. Take off the paper tab from the outer shield, then push the capped needle straight onto the pen and twist until it feels secure.
    3. Remove and keep the outer needle shield, and then take off and dispose of the inner needle shield.
    4. Turn the dose knob back to zero ("0").
    5. Press the dose knob once.
    6. Slowly turn the dose knob until you hear two clicks and see the extended line in the dose window. You can adjust it by turning the knob a little to the left or right.
    7. Hold the pen upright with the needle pointing up. Lightly tap the cartridge to move any air bubbles to the top.
    8. Push the dose knob all the way in and slowly count to 5 while keeping it pressed down.
    9. Take a look at the dose window—if it shows “0” and there's a small drop of medication at the tip, your pen is ready to go.

 

Solution Appears Cloudy or Unusual 

Issue: The solution inside the pen looks cloudy, contains clumps, or appears abnormal (e.g., filth or residue).

Learn More:

  1. The solution in the pen should be clear and colourless to slightly yellow. Do not use the pen if the solution is cloudy, contains clumps, or has any visible particles or discolouration.
  2. Cloudiness or clumping is often caused by improper storage, which can lead to degradation of the medication.

  3. To ensure the pen remains safe and effective:

    a) Store it in a refrigerator between 2°C and 8°C, away from direct contact with cooling elements.

    b) If necessary, it can be stored at room temperature (below 30°C) for up to 30 days.