Semaglutide units vs mg: reading your prescription label

Compounded semaglutide is often prescribed in syringe units, not mg. What units, mL and mg mean on your label, and why to confirm your dose with a pharmacist.

Explains how to read a compounded semaglutide vial label, without a calculator. On a U-100 insulin syringe, units measure volume: 100 units equal 1 mL. How many milligrams of semaglutide each unit holds depends on the vial's concentration in mg per mL, which varies between compounded products, so a units number only applies to one vial and syringe. The FDA warned in July 2024 about overdoses from compounded semaglutide in which patients drew 5 to 20 times their intended dose after confusing units, milliliters and milligrams, and prescribers miscalculated conversions. The page lists what to check on the label (active ingredient, concentration, dose in mg, mL and units, syringe size, pharmacy details), questions for the pharmacist, FDA guidance on compounded vials, and when to get help. Brand Ozempic and Wegovy are dosed in milligrams.

Related pages

• Ozempic tracker
• Wegovy tracker
• GLP-1 dosing schedules
• GLP-1 side effects guide
• GLP-1 answers

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