Ovidrel^® (choriogonadotropin alfa)

How to inject Ovidrel^®, step by step

Seven steps. No mixing — the pen arrives ready to inject, so most of the work is checking the pen and setting the dose correctly.

1. 1

   Prep

   Before you begin

   Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and lay everything out on a clean work surface. Your hands and your supplies should be as clean as possible. Keep needles capped until you use them, and never let a needle touch any surface except skin you have just cleaned with alcohol.

2. 2

   Prep

   Prepare the pen

   Remove the pen cap and wipe the threaded tip, including the rubber centre, with an alcohol swab. Check the reservoir holder: it should be intact and uncracked, and the solution inside should be clear and free of particles. If the holder is damaged or the liquid looks cloudy or discoloured, use a different pen. Confirm the dose display reads “0”.

   Pharmacist tip: Check the needle’s peel-off seal too. If it is loose or damaged, drop the needle into your sharps container with the cap still on and take a new one.

3. 3

   Prep

   Attach and prime the needle

   Press the pen’s threaded tip into the outer needle cap and twist clockwise until you feel light resistance — do not overtighten, or it will be hard to remove afterwards. Pull the outer cap straight off and keep it; you need it later to take the needle off safely. Hold the pen upright with the needle pointing up and discard the inner green shield. If you see a tiny drop at the needle tip, the pen is ready.

   Pharmacist tip: No drop? Turn the dose knob clockwise until a dot appears, hold the pen needle-up, tap the reservoir gently, then press the knob fully until a drop appears. You may repeat this once, but no more than twice in total.

4. 4

   Inject

   Set the dose to 250

   Turn the dose setting button clockwise until the display moves past the straight line and shows “250”. Do not push or pull the button while turning it. Remove the inner needle shield if you have not already. Check the display clearly reads “250” before going further.

5. 5

   Inject

   Give the injection

   Use the site your doctor or nurse recommended, usually the upper thigh or the abdomen. Clean it with an alcohol swab and let the skin dry. Confirm the display still reads “250”. Hold the pen in one hand and gently pinch the skin with the other to raise a small fold, then insert the needle at a 90° angle — a different angle can bend it. Press the dose knob all the way down and hold for at least five seconds. Do not release the knob until the needle is out of your skin.

   Pharmacist tip: When the display returns to “0”, the full dose has gone in. Then press a fresh alcohol swab gently over the site.

6. 6

   After

   Check the dose landed

   The dose display should read “0”. That confirms the whole dose was delivered — do not give yourself a second injection. If it does not read “0”, call your doctor for guidance rather than guessing.

7. 7

   After

   Remove the needle and dispose of everything

   Hold the pen by the reservoir holder and carefully place the outer needle cap back over the needle without pricking yourself. Grip that cap and unscrew the needle counterclockwise, then drop it in your sharps container. The pen and needle are single-use: discard the pen once you have injected, and never reuse either. Medicines and injection devices should never go in household trash or down the drain.