GLP‑1 dose schedule and missed‑dose helper

How this works

A product monograph is the official prescribing information Health Canada authorizes for each medicine. You'll find it in the Drug Product Database. Section 4 ("Dosage and Administration") sets out the starting dose, how and when the dose goes up, and what to do about a missed dose. The patient information at the end of the monograph gives the same rules in plain words. This tool turns those sections into dates. The data for each medicine sits in one block on this page, with the section it came from.

Most GLP‑1 medicines start low and go up in steps, to reduce stomach and gut side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The monographs say so in section 4.2.^1,4 Each step lasts at least a set time: 4 weeks for the weekly injections, 30 days for Rybelsus, 1 week for Saxenda.

Some steps are fixed in the monograph. Others happen only if your prescriber decides you need them, for example more blood-sugar control on Ozempic or Mounjaro. The planner marks those with "only if your prescriber decides", and shows the earliest date the monograph would allow them.

Generic semaglutide injections are copies of Ozempic with their own monographs. The two we checked have the same dose steps and missed-dose rule as Ozempic, but their pens deliver up to 1 mg, so the monograph says another product is needed for the 2 mg dose.³

What each monograph says about a missed dose

Quoted from the current Canadian product monographs, checked 14 Oct 2026.

• Generic semaglutide injectionThe same words as Ozempic: within 5 days, take it; more than 5 days, skip it.Generic semaglutide product monographs, section 4.5³
• Mounjaro“If a dose is missed, instruct patients to administer as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) after the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, patients can then resume their regular once-weekly dosing schedule.”Mounjaro product monograph, section 4.5⁶
• Ozempic“If a dose is missed, it should be administered as soon as possible within 5 days after the missed dose. If more than 5 days have passed, the missed dose should be skipped and the next dose should be administered on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, patients can then resume their regular once weekly dosing schedule.”Ozempic product monograph, section 4.5²
• Rybelsus“If a dose is missed, the missed dose should be skipped, and the next dose should be taken the following day.” Patient information: “If you forget to take a dose, just take one tablet on the morning after.”Rybelsus product monograph, section 4.5, and Patient Medication Information⁴
• Saxenda“If a dose is missed, the once-daily regimen should be resumed as prescribed with the next scheduled dose. An extra dose or increase in dose should not be taken to make-up for the missed dose. Based on the elimination half-life, patients should be advised to reinitiate SAXENDA® at 0.6 mg if more than 3 days have elapsed since the last SAXENDA® dose.” Patient information: “If you miss your daily dose of SAXENDA®, use SAXENDA® as soon as you remember. Then take your next daily dose as usual on the following day. Do not take an extra dose of SAXENDA® or increase your dose on the following day to make up for your missed dose. If you miss your dose of SAXENDA® for 3 days or more, call your healthcare professional to talk about how to restart your treatment.”Saxenda product monograph, section 4.5, and Patient Medication Information⁷
• Wegovy“If a patient misses one dose and the next scheduled dose is at least 2 days (48 hours) away, instruct the patient to administer WEGOVY® as soon as possible. If a patient misses one dose and the next schedule dose is less than 2 days (48 hours) away, inform the patient to not take that dose of WEGOVY®. The patients can resume their once-weekly dosing as scheduled. If a patient misses more than 2 consecutive WEGOVY® doses, inform them to resume dosing as scheduled or, if needed, instruct them to reinitiate WEGOVY® according to the dose escalation schedule, which may reduce the occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with reinitiation of treatment.” Patient information: “It is 5 days or less since you should have used WEGOVY®, use it as soon as you remember. Then inject your next dose as usual on your scheduled day.”Wegovy product monograph, section 4.4, and Patient Medication Information¹
• Zepbound“If a dose is missed, instruct patients to administer ZEPBOUND as soon as possible within 4 days (96 hours) after the missed dose. If more than 4 days have passed, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, patients can then resume their regular once weekly dosing schedule.”Zepbound product monograph, section 4.5⁵

What this can't tell you

• The right dose for you, or when you should move up. Your prescriber decides that, and may go slower than the monograph or keep you on a dose.
• What to do if you've switched medicines, switched between the two kinds of Rybelsus tablets, or moved between a brand and a generic.
• Anything for children and teens. The schedules shown are the adult ones.
• Victoza, Trulicity and other diabetes medicines. They aren't included here.
• Whether a symptom is serious. If you have severe stomach pain that won't go away, with or without vomiting, get medical help. If you think you've taken too much, the monographs say to contact a healthcare professional, a hospital emergency department, your regional poison control centre or Health Canada's toll-free number, 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669).¹ In an emergency, call 9-1-1.

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