Syringe Injection Tips
PEGASYS is supplied in a prefilled syringe, or PFS. This syringe is designed to make your injection as easy a process as possible. Because the syringe is prefilled, there’s no need for you to measure out your own dose. Also, the medication in the syringe stays in your body for a long time, so you only need to take it once a week.
Because you’ll be giving yourself PEGASYS injections at home, it’s essential that you know how to store the medication and inject it correctly. You might want to refer to this chapter for a refresher now and then, or use it to train anybody else who may help you with your medication. If any questions come up, never hesitate to talk with your healthcare team. Roche, the maker of PEGASYS, also provides another number – 1-877-PEGASYS or 1-877-734-2797, which allows you to speak with a nurse.
Phase 1: Before you inject, remember:
- PEGASYS must be kept in the refrigerator, but it should never be frozen. Avoid exposing it to direct sunlight. To avoid product foaming, do not shake the prefilled syringe of PEGASYS.
- Choose a clean, comfortable area to give yourself the injection, and make sure all the supplies you need are close at hand.
Your PEGASYS starter kit contains (see visual A)
- 4 syringes filled with medicine (one for each week of the month)
- 4 needles
- 4 alcohol pads.
This way, when it’s time to give yourself the injection, you’ll have one PEGASYS prefilled syringe, one needle with needle guard, a puncture-resistant sharps container, and an alcohol pad.
Visual A
Phase 2: To inject PEGASYS:
- Take the syringe out of the refrigerator. If there is foam in the solution, put it back in the refrigerator for use at a later time and use another syringe.
- Lay the syringe on a flat clean surface and wait a few minutes until it reaches room temperature. If you notice condensation on the outside of the syringe, wait another few minutes until it disappears.
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water to prevent infection.
- After the syringe has warmed up, pick it up by the glass barrel and look at it carefully.
Do not use PEGASYS if:
- The medicine is cloudy
- The medicine has particles floating in it
- The medicine is any color besides colorless to light yellow
- Or the expiration date has passed
- Attach the needle to the syringe.
- First, remove the needle from the package, but leave the needle shield on.
- You should never let the bare tip of the needle touch any surface.
- Remove and throw away the rubber tip on the syringe.
- Hold the needle close to the hub where the green needle cover connects.
- Put the needle on the end of the syringe using an easy twisting motion to tighten the needle onto the syringe (see visual B).
Visual B
- Decide where to self-inject.
- Pick a place on your stomach or thigh.
- Avoid your navel or waistline.
- Pick a different spot each time you give yourself an injection.
- Gently tap the area to avoid discomfort, and then clean the area with an alcohol pad.
- Let the skin dry for about 10 seconds.
- Prepare the syringe for injection.
- Uncover the needle by removing the plastic cap from the shield.
- Pull the green needle cover back from the needle toward the syringe barrel.
- The needle cover will remain in the position you set.
- Do not remove it. It is a safety device designed to prevent you and others from accidental needlesticks.
- Hold firmly where the needle attaches to the syringe (the hub).
- Be sure not to touch the sterile part of the needle.
- Remove the clear plastic needle shield covering the needle by pulling it straight off.
- Remove air bubbles from the syringe by holding the syringe with the needle pointing toward the ceiling.
- If you see little bubbles, pull down slightly on the plunger rod.
- Using your thumb and finger, gently tap the syringe to bring air bubbles to the top.
- Small air bubbles may remain on the glass surface.
- Press the plunger in slightly to push the air bubbles out of the syringe.
- If you find that there are still small air bubbles on the glass surface after you push the air bubbles out, you can still give yourself the injection.
- The small air bubbles will not hurt you.
- Depending on the dosage your doctor has prescribed, you may have to drain off some of the medicine before you inject.
- The syringe has markings for 180 micrograms, 135 micrograms, and 90 micrograms (see visual C). Your doctor will tell you which mark to use.
- Slowly and carefully press on the red plunger rod of the syringe to push out the excess medicine.
- Keep pressing until the edge of the plunger stopper reaches the correct mark on the side of the syringe.
- Do NOT decrease or increase your dose unless your doctor tells you to.
- Do NOT save or reuse any medication discharged from the syringe.
Visual C
- Perform your self-injection.
- Position the point of the needle so it’s facing up (see visual D).
- Pinch a fold of skin on your stomach or thigh firmly with your thumb and forefinger (see visual E).
- Hold the syringe like a pencil at a 45 to 90 degree angle over your skin, and in a quick motion, insert the needle as far as it will go into the pinched areas of the skin.
- Pull back the plunger very slightly.
- If blood comes into the syringe, the needle has entered a blood vessel.
- Do NOT inject in that case.
- Withdraw the needle and discard the syringe as you will be shown in a moment. Then repeat the self-injection steps with a new syringe.
- If no blood appears when you pull the plunger back, however, release your skin and slowly push the plunger all the way down so that you get all your medicine.
- Pull out the needle at the same angle you inserted it.
- Wipe the skin area clean with an alcohol pad.
Visual D
Visual E
Phase 3: Cleaning up:
- Before you throw out the syringe and needle, push the green needle cover toward the needle (see visual F).Then place the free end of the green needle cover on a flat surface and push down on it until it clicks and covers the needle. Always place used needles and syringes in the sharps container IMMEDIATELY after use, and NEVER reuse them (see visual G). Never tamper with the green needle cover after it has been engaged.
Visual F
Visual G
