A medicine has been prescribed for you that is given by subcutaneous (subQ) injection. A subQ injection uses a small needle to inject small volumes of medicine in the tissues under the skin, and above the muscle. You may feel nervous about doing this at first, but almost anyone can learn to safely give a subQ injection.

Supplies

Gather your supplies and select a comfortable, well-lit place to work. Clean your work surface with any household cleaner, rinse and dry, before putting down your supplies. You will need:

• Your medicine (If your medicine is refrigerated, take it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before your injection time.)
• Syringe
• Needle
• Alcohol swabs
• Container for needle and syringes (This needs to be hard plastic, like a laundry detergent or bleach bottle, or metal container with screw-on or other tight lid. )

Procedure

There are several steps in the procedure. Do them one-by-one, and in this order, for safety's sake.

1. Wash your hands
2. Prepare the syringe of medicine (some medicines come in a syringe. If your medicine, is already in a syringe, go to step 3)
   • Flip off the top covering the opening of your medicine bottle.
   • Clean the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab.
   • Set your medicine bottle down.
   • Remove the wrappers from the needle and syringe and attach the needle to the syringe.
   • Remove the cap from the needle.
   • Pull the plunger on the syringe back to draw air into the syringe. Draw in as much air as the volume of your medicine.
   • Insert the needle into the medicine bottle, through the rubber stopper.
   • Inject the air into the vial. Leave the needle in the bottle.
   • Turn the bottle upside down, with the needle still inside.
   • Pull back on the syringe again, this time drawing up the proper amount of medicine.
   • Check the syringe for air bubbles. To remove air bubbles, tap the syringe so the air bubbles rise to the top. Push the plunger to remove the air bubbles. Recheck the dose and add more medicine to the syringe if necessary.
3. Select the injection site
   • If you are giving yourself a subQ injection, you may give it on the abdomen or the front or side of the thigh. If someone else is giving the injection, they may also use the upper and outer arm and the buttocks.
   • Move the site with each injection. Inject at least one-and-a-half inches away from the last injection site. If injections continue to be given in the same site, the medicine may not be well absorbed.
   • Do not inject in areas that are bruised, swollen, or scarred.
   • Keep a record of your injection sites. Each time you give an injection, record the date, time, and site.
4. Clean the injection site
   • Clean the selected site with an alcohol swab. Clean a two-inch area. Let the alcohol dry.
   • Keep the alcohol wipe close by.
5. Give the injection
   • Using the hand you write with, hold the syringe like a pen or pencil, with the needle end down.
   • Remove the needle cap.
   • With your other hand, pinch about two to three inches on either side of the area you cleaned.
   • Insert the needle with a quick motion into the pinched skin at a 90 degree angle (straight up and down from the skin). The needle should go all the way into the skin.
   • Push the plunger of the syringe until all of the medicine is out of the syringe.
   • Quickly pull the needle out.
   • Apply gentle pressure to the site with the alcohol wipe.
   • Do not rub the injection site.
   • Put on a bandage if the site bleeds.
6. Safely dispose of medicine containers, syringes and needles
   • Do not put the cap back on the needle.
   • Drop the entire syringe and needle into your container.
   • Take care in disposing of the container of needles and syringes to protect sanitation workers or others who may come in contact with your trash.
     • Tape the lid closed. Use a waterproof marker to write “Not for recycling” on the container. A hard-walled, securely-closed container may be disposed of with your household trash.
     • You may also choose an alternative disposal method. Some options are:
       • Supervised collection site -- check with your pharmacy, doctor’s office or clinic to see if they will accept needle containers
       • Mail back programs -- this service requires a fee and provides you with containers that can be sent by U.S. mail to a needle disposal site. Check with your health care provider or search the internet using the keywords “sharps mail back.”
       • Contact the Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal at 1-800-643-1643 for other options.
7. Wash hands.
8. You may need to observe for side effects of the medicine. Your nurse or pharmacist will teach you about possible side effects of this medicine. Call your doctor or health care team if you have any concerns.