The cautions check
Plan for problems before starting
Make sure you can explain the plan
Ask what changes to watch for and how to reach the doctor afterward. Have them explain any instruction you do not understand.
When help cannot wait
MedlinePlus, a US government health reference, lists a swollen face or tongue and trouble swallowing or breathing among the signs of a severe allergic reaction.
Its guidance, checked on September 17, 2026, calls this reaction an emergency that can start within seconds or minutes.
Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
Read the urgent-help source
Take personal questions about the proposed medicine to the doctor.
- Notice a changeKeep the care instructions
- Need an answerKnow how to reach the doctor
- Need urgent helpRead the urgent-help guidance
Ask about the medicine and its instructions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says errors in making medicine to order can result in germs or an incorrect amount of the working ingredient.
The medicine’s working ingredient is the part meant to make it work.
Mistakes with the amount injected may have harmed people using semaglutide made to order, according to FDA reports checked as of September 26, 2026.
Some reports described people needing care in hospital, as of September 26, 2026.
Read the FDA note on reported mistakes
Ask the pharmacist what the label means and how the measuring device works. Ask what to do if the written instructions are unclear.
Ask for a plan for problems
- What changes would need a call?
- How do I reach the doctor after the visit?
- What changes would need urgent help?
- What changes if I am pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy?
Keep a record of a problem
MedWatch is the FDA’s program where patients can report problems with a medicine, checked on September 17, 2026.