When a medicine problem needs help

Get urgent help for a severe allergy

A severe allergic reaction may cause breathing trouble, or the face or tongue may swell.

For severe allergic symptoms, get emergency help now.

Call 911 now, or go straight to the nearest emergency room.

MedlinePlus says this reaction can threaten life. It can come on very fast.

Unclear amounts need a direct answer

FDA, the US medicine review agency, has had reports of mistakes with amounts in made-to-order semaglutide injections. Some reported problems led to hospital care.

The reports include patients getting the amount wrong and health professionals making calculation mistakes.

If the label or instructions are unclear, ask the prescriber or pharmacist to explain your own prescription.

Storage depends on the exact product

There is no temperature rule that fits every peptide medicine.

Some labels require cold storage; others call for room temperature.

Use the label for your product and the instructions from its pharmacy; storage needs differ among medicines.

GLP-1 medicines act like a body chemical that helps control appetite and blood sugar.

FDA’s advice is to avoid a GLP-1 shot if it is warm on arrival or was not kept cold enough.

A report can help, but comes after needed care

Patients can tell FDA about a medicine problem through its MedWatch reporting service.

Receiving a report is not proof that the medicine was the cause of the problem.