Product Safety Tips Press Release
Posted on February 21, 2025
Contact: Kristie Edelen, Pharm.D., DABAT
Managing Director, Oklahoma Poison Center
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences College of Pharmacy
Phone: (405) 271-5062
Email: kristie-edelen@ouhsc.edu
Website: oklahomapoison.org
Before You Inject: What You Need to Know About GLP-1 Agonists
February 24, 2025 – OKLAHOMA POISON CENTER, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – With the growing use of GLP-1 agonists for diabetes and weight management, the Oklahoma Poison Center is seeing a surge in calls about dosing errors—especially with compounded formulations. Since May 2021 the Oklahoma Poison Center has received 241 calls related to GLP-1 agonists with 189 (78%) of these being related to unintentional therapeutic errors. Patients often realize too late that they’ve injected the wrong amount, saying things like, “It seemed like a lot, but I did it anyway.”
To prevent dangerous dosing mistakes, the Oklahoma Poison Center urges the public to ask the right questions before injecting any GLP-1 medication. Whether using a prefilled pen or drawing up a dose from a vial, safety starts with understanding your medication and delivery device.
Key Safety Tips for GLP-1 Agonist Use:
Know Your Dose: Always confirm your prescribed dose with your provider or pharmacy. Compounded versions may differ from FDA-approved formulations.
Understand Your Syringe: An insulin syringe (measured in units) is different from a standard syringe (measured in mL). Using the wrong syringe can lead to serious overdoses or underdoses.
Be Shown How to Measure Your Dose: If you’re unsure, ask a healthcare provider or pharmacist to demonstrate. GLP-1 pens may be dosed differently than syringes.
Double-Check Before Injecting: If the amount looks different than expected, stop and ask before proceeding. If you are in doubt, don’t inject—call for help.
The Oklahoma Poison Center is available 24/7 to answer questions about GLP-1 agonists and any other medication concerns. If you or a loved one has a question—or may have made a dosing mistake—don’t hesitate to call 1-800-222-1222.
“We want to empower people to feel confident and safe when using these medications,” says Kristie Edelen, managing director at the Oklahoma Poison Center. “A quick call before you inject could prevent a serious mistake.”
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About Oklahoma Poison Center
Oklahoma Poison Center is dedicated to providing expert advice and support in cases of poisoning and exposure to harmful substances. Our mission is to prevent poisonings and reduce their impact through education, prevention, and providing emergency treatment recommendations. The Oklahoma Poison Center is a program of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy.
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences is one of the nation’s few academic health centers with all health professions colleges — Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Graduate Studies. OU Health Sciences serves approximately 4,000 students in more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs on campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa and is the academic and research partner of OU Health, the state’s only comprehensive academic healthcare system. OU Health Sciences is ranked 129 out of over 2,849 institutions in funding received from the National Institutes of Health, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. For more information, visit ouhsc.edu