Medication reference
Mounjaro dosing schedule in Canada
The strengths, starting dose, dose steps, maximum dose and missed dose rule of Mounjaro, as the Canadian product monograph states them.
Key facts
- The recommended starting dose of Mounjaro is 2.5 mg, injected under the skin once weekly.
- After 4 weeks, the dose increases to 5 mg once weekly.
- The adult maximum dose is 15 mg once weekly.
- The maximum dose for patients aged 10 to less than 18 years is 10 mg once weekly.
- A missed dose can be taken as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) after the missed dose.
Strengths and forms
Mounjaro is an injection that is given under the skin.
A person who uses the single-dose pen or the vial uses 4 pens or vials in a month. One KwikPen delivers 4 doses of the same strength, so a person uses 1 KwikPen in a month.
The product monograph lists three forms:
- Mounjaro single-dose prefilled pen: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg or 15 mg in 0.5 mL.
- Mounjaro single-dose vial: the same six strengths in 0.5 mL.
- Mounjaro KwikPen (multi-dose prefilled pen): 4 fixed doses of 0.6 mL each. The strengths are 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg.
Starting dose and dose steps
The recommended starting dose is 2.5 mg once weekly. The monograph says that the 2.5 mg dose is for treatment initiation and is not intended for glycemic control.
After 4 weeks, the dose increases to 5 mg once weekly. If additional glycemic control is needed, the dose increases in steps of 2.5 mg. Each step comes after no less than 4 weeks on the current dose.
The patient information says that your dose may change depending on your other diabetic medication, your physical health and your diet.
The patient information says to use a new pen, vial or KwikPen for the new dose when the dose increases. It also says not to change your dose or stop Mounjaro without talking to your healthcare professional.
Maximum dose
The adult maximum dose is 15 mg once weekly.
For patients aged 10 to less than 18 years, the maximum dose is 10 mg once weekly. For these patients, the monograph advises caution with a dose beyond 5 mg if the patient weighs 60 kg or less. It says that safety data are lacking.
The monograph requires no dose adjustment for patients with renal impairment or for patients over 65 years of age. It recommends no dose adjustment for patients with hepatic insufficiency.
Mounjaro is not indicated for patients under 10 years of age.
How and when to inject
The monograph says to administer Mounjaro once weekly, at any time of day, with or without meals. Mounjaro should not be administered daily.
The injection goes under the skin of the abdomen or the thigh. Another person should give an injection in the back of the upper arm. The monograph says to rotate injection sites with each dose.
The instructions for Mounjaro KwikPen say to inject in the stomach at least 5 centimeters from the belly button.
The patient information says: do not inject Mounjaro into a vein or muscle.
If necessary, the day of the weekly injection can change. The time between two doses must be at least 3 days (72 hours).
When Mounjaro is used with insulin, the monograph says to administer them as separate injections and never to mix them.
The patient information says not to use Mounjaro without training from a healthcare professional on how to inject it.
Missed dose
The patient information gives two cases for a missed dose. In both cases, inject your next dose on your usual scheduled day.
- It has been 4 days (96 hours) or less since you should have used Mounjaro: use it as soon as you remember.
- It has been more than 4 days (96 hours) since you should have used Mounjaro: skip the missed dose.
Ask a health professional
This page repeats what the Canadian product monograph says. It is not medical advice. Ask your pharmacist or your prescriber what applies to you.