Injection Guide
How to fill and inject your medication at home
Don’t worry, it really not so bad
If the idea of giving yourself a shot makes you a bit nervous, you’re not alone. But don’t worry – you’ll get the hang of it in no time. This isn’t like those big flu shots; it’s a tiny needle that goes just under your skin, so you barely feel a thing.
Here are some simple tips: read through all the instructions before you start. Then, as you do your shot, follow along with the steps. Use the instructions for the first several shots until it becomes second nature.
The most important things for your safety are making sure the needle doesn’t touch anything it shouldn’t, and cleaning your hands, the skin where you’ll do the shot, and the top of the bottle.
Here’s what you need to do:
Prepare
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Dry with a clean towel.
- Choose an injection site (abdomen or thigh) – at least 2 inches away from your belly button or between one hand above your knee and one hand below your groin, towards the outer side of the thigh.
- Clean the injection site in a circular motion using a new alcohol prep pad. Let the area dry.
- Clean the rubber stopper on the bottle with an alcohol prep pad. Let it air dry briefly.
Fill the Syringe with Medication
- Uncap the needle without touching it. Draw air into the syringe equal to the medication dose needed. Carefully recap the needle if you need to put it down for any reason
- Pierce the bottle’s rubber stopper with the needle. Inject air into the bottle.
- Turn the bottle upside down with the needle inside. Ensure the needle tip is submerged in the medication. Slowly pull on the plunger to draw the prescribed amount of medication.
- Hold the barrel of the syringe and remove the syringe from the bottle.
- If there are air bubbles, tap the syringe gently with the needle facing up. Push the plunger until a tiny droplet appears at the needle tip.
Inject the Medication
- Hold the syringe like a dart, with the barrel between your fingers and your thumb, using your dominant hand. Don’t put your finger on the plunger until you have completely inserted the needle.
- Pinch the cleaned area of skin to create a lump using your other hand.
- Quickly insert the needle straight into the pinched skin. Jabbing the needle quickly is more comfortable than doing it slowly.
- Press the plunger down with your pointer finger until the syringe is empty. Keep the needle still during injection.
- Remove the needle from your skin at the same angle it went in.
Clean Up
- If there’s bleeding, press a gauze pad or cotton ball against the injection site.
- Immediately place the used syringe and needle into a sharps container.
- Return any unused medication to the refrigerator.
