If you miss a Wegovy injection, take it as soon as possible within 5 days of the missed dose. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose and take your next one on your usual day. Do not take two doses close together to catch up. If you have missed several doses in a row, the UK product information says reducing the dose when you restart should be considered, so speak to your prescriber before going back to your previous dose.
Wegovy (semaglutide) is injected once a week, on the same day each week. The UK Summary of Product Characteristics sets out what to do if a dose is missed. The rule is simple and applies whichever dose you are on, from the 0.25mg starting dose to the maintenance doses. See the Wegovy dose schedule guide for the usual steps, and the Wegovy 7.2mg guide if you are on the higher dose.
| How late are you? | What to do | Next dose |
|---|---|---|
| Within 5 days of the missed dose | Take the missed dose as soon as you remember | Back to your usual injection day the following week |
| More than 5 days since the missed dose | Skip the missed dose completely | Take your next dose on your usual scheduled day |
| Several doses missed in a row | Do not simply restart at your previous dose. Speak to your prescriber | Your prescriber may advise restarting at a lower dose |
Important
Never take a double dose to make up for a missed injection. Taking more than your prescribed dose raises the risk of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration, and is not a safe way to catch up.
Dates can be confusing in practice, so here are some examples. Imagine your usual injection day is Monday.
| Situation | What the rule means for you |
|---|---|
| You remember on Wednesday that you forgot Monday’s dose | This is 2 days late, within the 5-day window. Inject now. Your next injection returns to Monday of the following week, as long as there are at least 3 days between doses |
| You remember on Friday (4 days late) | Still within the 5-day window. Inject now. Your next dose on Monday is then 3 days later, which still meets the 3-day minimum, so you can carry on with Monday |
| You remember on Sunday (6 days late) | This is more than 5 days late. Skip the missed dose and inject on Monday as usual |
| You miss one dose while travelling and are away for a week | Follow the same 5-day rule on your return. If more than 5 days have passed, skip it and resume your usual day |
Taking Wegovy for the first time, or building up through the doses? Our Wegovy tolerance guide explains how your body adjusts, and our Is Wegovy worth the money? and Wegovy cost UK 2026 guides cover value. If you are weighing it against alternatives, see Mounjaro vs Wegovy and the decision guide.
Semaglutide stays in the body for a long time, which is why it only needs to be injected weekly. Because of this, a dose that is a few days late still leaves enough medicine in your system to be effective, and giving it late is safe. Beyond 5 days, the next scheduled dose is close enough that injecting both would put two doses too near each other. That is why the instruction switches from “take it late” to “skip it”.
How to Change Your Injection DayIf your usual day no longer suits you, you can change it. The UK product information says the day of weekly dosing can be changed if necessary, as long as the time between two doses is at least 3 days (more than 72 hours). Once you have chosen the new day, continue weekly on that day.
| If you want to move from… | You could… | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | Inject on Thursday this week (3 days after Monday’s dose) | At least 3 days between doses |
| Friday to Monday | Inject on Monday (3 days after Friday) | At least 3 days between doses |
| Any day to a day earlier in the week | Wait until the new day arrives after at least 3 days | Never inject closer than 3 days apart |
Choose a day you can keep up in the long run, for example the same day you do the weekly shop or a day with a regular routine. Setting a phone reminder is the single most effective way to avoid missed doses. If you are new to injecting, our injection technique guide walks through each step.
What If You Miss More Than One Dose?The product information says that if more doses are missed, reducing the starting dose for re-initiation should be considered. This is a consideration for your prescriber, not an automatic rule, and it depends on how long you have been off, which dose you were on, and how you tolerated it.
Why does this matter? When you have been off treatment for a few weeks, your body is no longer used to the medicine. Going straight back to a high dose can cause strong nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, which in turn can lead to dehydration. Restarting at a lower dose and building back up is a gentler way to get back on track. If nausea returns, see our nausea guide.
| Time since your last dose | What usually happens | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 days late (one dose) | Take it late, then continue as normal | Pharmacist if unsure |
| One skipped dose (more than 5 days) | Carry on with your next scheduled dose | Pharmacist if unsure |
| Two or more weeks without a dose | Your prescriber may suggest a lower dose to restart | Prescriber before restarting |
| A month or more | A restart plan is likely, often lower dose and re-titration | Prescriber |
- Appetite may come back a little, because blood levels of the medicine fall. This is normal and usually settles once you are back on schedule.
- You may notice side effects such as nausea slightly more if you restart after a longer gap. See our Wegovy side effects guide.
- Weight loss does not reverse after a single missed dose. A short gap makes very little difference to your overall progress. If your weight has stalled, see the Wegovy plateau guide.
- Keep a note of the date you injected so you always know when your next dose is due.
After a missed dose or a short break, return to your normal routine rather than trying to compensate. Keep eating protein at every meal, drink plenty of fluids and keep up strength training, which protects your muscle: see our nutrition guide, the Wegovy and muscle preservation guide and the calorie deficit calculator. If you are thinking about the longer term, our guides on maintaining weight loss after Wegovy and the science of why weight loss is not just willpower explain why consistency matters. And if you buy Wegovy online, make sure the pharmacy is genuine: see why buy Wegovy from a GPhC-registered pharmacy and how to spot fake weight-loss injections.
- Choose a fixed day and set a repeating phone alarm, ideally for the evening before so you can prepare the pen.
- Keep your pen where you will see it, within the storage conditions in the leaflet. See how long you can store Wegovy.
- Mark injection days on a calendar, or use a notes app or reminder.
- Travelling? Pack the pen and needles in your hand luggage and note the time zone change.
- If you are unwell and vomiting, speak to your pharmacist or prescriber about whether to inject that week.
Different weight-loss medicines have different missed-dose rules because they differ in how often they are taken and how long they stay in the body. Do not apply one medicine’s rule to another.
| Medicine | How often | Missed dose rule (UK product information) |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy injection (semaglutide) | Once weekly | Take within 5 days; if more than 5 days, skip and take next dose on the usual day |
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | Once weekly | Take within 4 days; if more than 4 days, skip and take next dose on the usual day. See what happens if you miss a Mounjaro dose |
| Wegovy pill | Once daily | Daily tablet; see what happens if you miss a Wegovy pill dose |
| Foundayo (orforglipron) | Once daily | Daily tablet; follow its own missed dose advice, and contact your prescriber after a longer gap. See how to take Foundayo |
When to get advice
Contact your prescriber or pharmacist if you have missed more than one dose, are unsure which day to inject, feel very unwell after restarting, or cannot keep fluids down. Seek urgent help for severe, persistent stomach pain, as this can be a sign of a serious problem.
Life does not always fit a weekly schedule. If you are travelling across time zones, aim to keep your dose at least 3 days apart from the last one and avoid ending up with two doses too close together. If illness has left you vomiting or dehydrated, ask your pharmacist for advice before injecting, because the medicine can worsen dehydration. If you are having an operation, follow the instructions from your surgical and anaesthetic team about when to take or pause a dose rather than deciding yourself: see our guide on having surgery on Mounjaro, Wegovy or Foundayo. If you are thinking about coming off treatment altogether, read what happens when you stop Mounjaro, Wegovy or Foundayo.
Changing from the injection to a tablet? See switching from injection to tablet and the Wegovy pill vs Wegovy injection comparison. Tempted to stretch a pen by taking less? Read our microdosing guide first.
Questions to Ask Your Pharmacist- I forgot my dose. Am I still within the window?
- Should I change my injection day after this?
- I have been off for a few weeks. Should I restart at a lower dose?
- How can I make sure I do not forget in future?
The bottom line
For Wegovy, a late dose is fine within 5 days, a skipped dose is fine beyond that, and a double dose is never the answer. If you have missed several doses, speak to your prescriber so that you can restart safely, often at a lower dose. Questions? Start with our weight loss consultation or browse the full guide library.
Need Help With a Missed Dose or Your Dose Schedule?
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Start Your Free Online Consultation → Use code SWITCH10 if you're switching from another provider Happy Pharmacy is a GPhC-registered pharmacy (No. 9013192) — Superintendent Pharmacist: Palvinder Deol — Rated 4.8★ Excellent on Trustpilot- Wegovy® (semaglutide) FlexTouch solution for injection: UK Summary of Product Characteristics, section 4.2 (missed doses, change of dosing day, re-initiation), electronic Medicines Compendium (emc).
- Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) KwikPen: UK Summary of Product Characteristics, section 4.2 (missed doses), emc.
- Wegovy® (semaglutide) FlexTouch: patient information leaflet, emc.
- Wilding JPH, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med. 2021;384:989-1002.
- NICE. Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity (TA875).