Ozempic Pen Clicks for 0.25 mg Dose
The Ozempic pen delivers 0.25 mg of semaglutide with a single click at the lowest dose setting.
Dosing Mechanism
The Ozempic pen is designed with a dose selector that clicks into specific dose increments, and the 0.25 mg dose is the starting dose that requires one click on the pen's dose selector 1.
Semaglutide is started at 0.25 mg weekly for the first 4 weeks to minimize gastrointestinal adverse effects, followed by dose escalation to 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, and higher doses every 4 weeks 1.
Practical Administration Details
The 0.25 mg dose is administered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm, and can be given at any time of day without regard to meals 2, 3.
Patients should be instructed to administer injections on the same day each week in the same body area, though the specific time of day and proximity to meals is not critical 3.
The prefilled pen-injector (PDS290) is designed for patient self-administration, with the dose selector clearly marking each increment 3.
Titration Schedule Context
The 0.25 mg starting dose is not a therapeutic dose but rather a tolerability dose designed to reduce nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that occur in 20-24% of patients during initial treatment 1, 3.
After 4 weeks on 0.25 mg, the dose should be increased to 0.5 mg weekly, then to 1.0 mg weekly after another 4 weeks if additional glycemic control is needed 2, 4.
For obesity management with Wegovy (higher-dose semaglutide), the titration continues beyond 1.0 mg to 1.7 mg and ultimately 2.4 mg weekly, but the initial 0.25 mg dose remains the same single-click starting point 1.
Common Pitfall to Avoid
Do not confuse the number of clicks with the dose strength—the Ozempic pen is pre-calibrated so that selecting "0.25 mg" on the dose window requires turning the selector to that specific marking, which corresponds to one click from the zero position 2, 3.
Patients should be counseled that the 0.25 mg dose is temporary and will be increased after 4 weeks; remaining on this dose long-term will not provide adequate glycemic control or weight loss 1, 4.