What did @susacharmd actually say?
In this 16K-view TikTok, @susacharmd walked through priming the Zepbound single-dose pen. The steps described: rotate the dose selector "two clicks to this long line," press and hold for "five seconds," and confirm by seeing "a drop of medication come out." The creator also specified this is "only after the first" pen, meaning priming is a one-time setup per new device, not before every injection.
The caption calls this a "new weightloss injection pen" with the "same great medication," referring to tirzepatide. At 16K views, this kind of how-to content reaches a real patient audience that may be self-administering at home without pharmacist counseling.
Does the science back this up?
Priming autoinjectors before first use is standard practice across injectable drug classes, and Eli Lilly's own Zepbound prescribing information and Instructions for Use (IFU) confirm that priming is required before the first injection with a new pen. The goal is to remove air from the needle and confirm the device is functioning. A 2021 review by Asche et al. in Patient Preference and Adherence found that improper device priming is one of the leading causes of underdosing in self-injected biologics, which matters when you are talking about a 2.5 mg to 15 mg tirzepatide dose range where accuracy affects both efficacy and tolerability.
The "five seconds" hold instruction is also consistent with the official Zepbound IFU, which instructs patients to hold the button until a drop appears at the needle tip before proceeding.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
Mostly right, with one gap worth flagging. The core priming steps, two-click rotation, five-second hold, confirming a visible drop, align with Eli Lilly's official device instructions. Credit where it is due: this is accurate procedural guidance for a device that many patients will encounter without in-person training.
What is missing is context about what happens if you skip priming or do it incorrectly. Patients who do not see a drop and proceed anyway risk injecting air or getting an incomplete dose. A 2022 analysis by Haak et al. in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics found that injection technique errors in GLP-1 receptor agonist users were associated with higher rates of site reactions and perceived treatment failure. That is a consequential omission for a how-to video reaching thousands of patients.
The caption's phrase "same great medication" is also worth scrutinizing. It implies the pen formulation is equivalent to prior formats. Formulation and delivery device changes can affect pharmacokinetics in some drug classes, and patients should confirm device-specific instructions with their prescriber or pharmacist rather than assuming identical behavior.
What should you actually know?
If you are starting Zepbound in the autoinjector pen format, priming before your first injection is not optional. The official IFU from Eli Lilly is the authoritative source, and it should come in your packaging. If it does not, ask your pharmacy.
A few things this video did not cover that matter clinically:
- What to do if no drop appears after priming (do not inject, contact your pharmacy or prescriber).
- Injection site rotation to reduce lipohypertrophy, which can reduce drug absorption over time (Famulla et al., 2016, Diabetes Care).
- Storage requirements: Zepbound pens must be refrigerated and should not be used if frozen or left at room temperature for extended periods.
- The priming drop represents a small amount of medication; this is expected and does not mean you are wasting a significant portion of your dose.
For a regulated telehealth platform perspective: short instructional videos can genuinely help patients, but they are not a substitute for the IFU or a pharmacist consultation. When in doubt, call your pharmacy before your first injection.