Choosing and Preparing an Injection Site

Take either one or two CIMZIA prefilled syringes and alcohol swabs out of the refrigerator for injection, depending on your prescribed dose. If there is still a prefilled syringe in the carton, put it back in the refrigerator right away. If both prefilled syringes are used, throw away the empty carton after you finish your injection.
Let the medicine in the syringe come to room temperature before injection. This will take about 30 minutes.

For your protection, it's important that you carefully follow these instructions:

Choose a different site on your abdomen or thigh for each injection. Each new injection should be given at least one inch from a site you used before. If you choose the abdomen, avoid the 2 inches around your navel. Do not inject into areas where the skin is tender, bruised, red or hard or where you have scars or stretch marks. Change injection sites between your abdomen and thighs to reduce the risk of reaction. You may find it helpful to keep notes on the locations of injection sites you use.
Use an alcohol swab to wipe over the site where you will inject CIMZIA. Do not touch the clean area again until you are ready for the injection.

Remove the needle cover by pulling straight up on the plastic ring. Take care not to touch the needle and do not allow the needle to touch any surface. Place the needle cover to the side.

Hold the syringe so the needle is pointing up. Lightly tap the syringe to push any air bubbles to the top. Push the plunger slowly to remove any bubbles. Stop pushing the plunger once all of the air bubbles are gone. If a small drop of liquid comes out of the needle, that is okay.

Hold the syringe with the needle facing down. Do not touch the needle with your fingers or let it touch any surface.
Hold the syringe in one hand. Use the other hand to gently pinch a fold of cleaned area of skin. Insert the needle at about a 45 degree angle with a quick, short, "dart-like" motion.

Release the skin pinch, keeping the syringe in position. Pull back slowly on the plunger. If blood enters the syringe, this means you have entered a blood vessel. Do not inject CIMZIA. Pull the needle out and throw away the prefilled syringe and needle in a puncture-proof container. Repeat the steps to prepare for an injection using a new prefilled syringe. Do not use the same prefilled syringe.
If no blood appears, inject all of the medicine in the prefilled syringe under the skin.
When the syringe is empty, remove the needle from the skin and press the clean cotton ball or gauze pad over the injection site for ten seconds. Do not rub the injection site. You may have a slight amount of bleeding. This is normal.

To avoid needle-stick injury, do not try to recap the needle. Throw away the used prefilled syringe and needle in a special puncture-proof container (see the section entitled “How to Dispose of Needles and Syringes”)
Repeat steps 5-13 above if you are prescribed to take a second injection of CIMZIA (total 400 mg dose).