The Trulicity pen is a prefilled, single-dose auto-injector that delivers your medication with two simple actions: unlock and press. There’s no mixing, no drawing up doses, and no visible needle. Each pen comes preloaded with one weekly dose, and the entire injection process takes about 10 seconds once you’re ready.
Before You Inject: Prep and Inspection
Take the pen out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before injecting. A cold injection is more likely to sting. While you wait, check the expiration date on the pen’s label and look through the viewing window. The liquid inside should be clear and colorless. If it looks cloudy, discolored, or has particles floating in it, don’t use that pen.
Trulicity comes in four dosage strengths: 0.75 mg, 1.5 mg, 3 mg, and 4.5 mg, all in the same 0.5 mL volume. Your prescriber will typically start you at the lowest dose and increase over time. Each pen contains a 29-gauge, half-inch needle, which is thin enough that most people barely feel it.
Choosing and Preparing Your Injection Site
You have three options for where to inject: your stomach (at least two inches from the belly button), the front of your thigh, or the back of your upper arm (this spot usually requires help from someone else). Rotate your injection site each week. If you injected into your left thigh last week, try your right thigh or stomach this week. Rotating helps prevent the fatty tissue under the skin from hardening over time.
Clean the area with an alcohol swab and let it air dry before injecting.
Step-by-Step Injection Process
The pen has a gray base cap on the bottom and a green injection button on top. Here’s the sequence:
- Pull off the gray base cap. Twist and pull it straight off. This unlocks the pen and exposes the flat base where the needle is hidden. Don’t put the cap back on, as the pen locks once capped.
- Place the base flat against your skin. Hold the pen at a 90-degree angle to your body and press the clear base firmly against your cleaned injection site.
- Press and hold the green injection button. You’ll hear a loud click. This means the needle has inserted and the medication is being delivered. Keep the pen pressed against your skin.
- Wait for the second click. After a few seconds, you’ll hear a second click. This signals the injection is finishing. Continue holding the pen in place for about five more seconds after the second click to make sure the full dose is delivered.
- Lift the pen away. The needle retracts automatically when you pull the pen from your skin.
How to Confirm the Dose Was Delivered
After you remove the pen from your skin, look at the viewing window. A gray plunger should now be visible. This is your confirmation that the full dose was delivered. If you don’t see the gray plunger, the injection may not have completed properly. Don’t attempt a second injection with the same pen or a new one without checking with your pharmacist or prescriber first.
A small drop of blood or liquid at the injection site is normal and nothing to worry about. You can press a cotton ball or gauze lightly against the spot, but don’t rub it.
What to Do if You Miss a Dose
Trulicity is a once-weekly injection, and the timing rule for missed doses is straightforward. If you realize you’ve missed your dose and there are still at least 3 days (72 hours) before your next scheduled injection day, go ahead and take it. If fewer than 3 days remain until your next dose, skip the missed one entirely and inject on your regular day. Either way, continue with your normal weekly schedule from that point forward. Don’t double up to make up for a missed dose.
It helps to pick a consistent day of the week for your injection. You can take Trulicity at any time of day, with or without food.
Storage Guidelines
Unused pens belong in the refrigerator, stored between 2°C and 8°C (roughly 36°F to 46°F). Don’t freeze them. If a pen has been frozen, throw it away even if it’s thawed, because freezing can damage the medication.
When refrigeration isn’t available, a pen can stay at room temperature (below 30°C or 86°F) for up to 14 days total. After 14 days unrefrigerated, the pen should be discarded whether you’ve used it or not. If you’re tracking this, write the date on the pen when you take it out of the fridge.
Disposal After Use
Each Trulicity pen is single-use. After injecting, place the used pen immediately into a sharps disposal container. If you don’t have a dedicated sharps container, a heavy-duty plastic household container with a screw-on lid (like a laundry detergent bottle) works as a temporary option. Never throw a used pen directly into the trash or recycling, and don’t try to remove or recap the needle.
Once your sharps container is about three-quarters full, dispose of it according to your local guidelines. Options vary by area but commonly include drop-off sites at pharmacies, hospitals, or fire stations, as well as mail-back programs. You can call 1-800-643-1643 (Safe Needle Disposal) for disposal options specific to your state.
Traveling With Trulicity Pens
You can bring Trulicity pens in both carry-on and checked luggage when flying. The TSA classifies them alongside insulin and other medically necessary liquids. Let the security officer know you’re carrying injectable medication and place the pens in a separate bin for X-ray screening. X-ray machines do not damage the medication.
For temperature control, pack your pens in an insulated cooling case with a gel pack. Avoid placing pens directly against ice or frozen gel packs, since freezing ruins the medication. If your trip is under 14 days, you can keep the pens at room temperature the entire time without a cooler, as long as they stay below 30°C. For longer trips, you’ll need access to a refrigerator at your destination.