Injection every 4 or 12 weeks: track the next due date
An injection every 4 or 12 weeks: what to write down each time, how to keep the next due date in view, and what to ask your practice or pharmacy.
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A date that comes around every 4 or 12 weeks is easy to lose. In Sam you log the day you had it, see the next due day, and get a reminder on that day. This article covers what to write down each time, how to keep the next date in view, and what to ask your practice, clinic or pharmacy.
Why is an injection every 4 or 12 weeks easy to lose track of?
Because of the gap. A daily medicine becomes a habit. One that comes around every few weeks or months does not, and the note you made last time is far back. That is everyday experience rather than a study.
How often you have the injection is set by your prescriber. The patient leaflet gives the rules for your medicine. This article does not tell you which interval is right. It helps you keep the date, so that at the appointment you can say when you last had it.
Some people say "every 12 weeks" and others "every 3 months". Whether that is the same for your medicine is a question for your practice. Ask whether they count weeks or calendar months.
Who gives the injection: your practice, you, or someone who helps?
Your prescriber decides. Some injections are given by a practice or clinic. Others you give yourself once your practice or pharmacist has shown you how, and some people get help from a carer. aponet.de, the health portal of German pharmacists, advises asking a pharmacist or doctor how self-injection works for you (aponet.de, German). Technique is not covered here.
For your notes it does not matter who gave it. You write it down so the record is right later.
What should you write down each time?
There is no official template for a repeating injection. General advice on keeping a medicine list carries over. It says to list every medicine with dose and how often, bring the list to every appointment and update it when something changes. A regular injection belongs on the same list as everything else.
As a suggestion:
- The date you had the injection. Everything else builds on it.
- Who gave it: the practice, you, or someone helping you.
- The next date your practice names, so you have two dates to compare.
- The site, but only if your practice records it.
- Questions or anything to raise next time, including medicines started or stopped since the last visit.
This is a note for you. What your practice needs, your practice will tell you.
How do you keep the next date in view?
There are three common ways:
- A calendar entry with a reminder. It is quick, but it drifts if the date changes, and the injections themselves leave no history.
- Your practice. Ask whether they book the next slot at the visit or send a recall.
- An app that keeps the date and reminds you.
An app supports the list. It does not replace the review with your practice or pharmacist, and that goes for Sam as well. The NHS lists smartphone apps among medicine reminders and suggests asking a pharmacist about reminders.
What should you ask your practice?
These questions help, and the answers come from the practice:
- How often is the next injection planned, and with what gap?
- Does a fixed date count, or the gap since the last injection?
- What applies if an appointment moves or is missed?
- Does the practice book the next slot straight away or send a reminder?
- Where do I find the instructions for my medicine, for example on storage?
The patient leaflet usually answers the last one. What applies after a delay comes from your practice, pharmacy and leaflet, not from this article. MedlinePlus advises writing questions down before a visit and asking when to schedule the next appointment.
What do you bring to the appointment?
Your medicine list including anything you buy without a prescription, the dates of your last injections and your questions. MedlinePlus recommends discussing the list with your provider at each appointment and reviewing it with your pharmacist too. What belongs on such a list is in Medication list for your doctor. If a dose changes, see how to log a dose change. More questions for the visit are in the appointment checklist.
How do you set up a repeating injection in Sam?
In Sam you add the medication to your personal medication list under a name you choose. Under How often you pick Other, then Weeks or Months and a number from 1 to 12. You choose the day of the next dose and the time of the reminder.
On the due day you get a notification at that time: "Medication due", asking you to open Sam. Tapping it opens Sam, where you log it with the day you had it. The day can be in the past. The notification itself has no buttons.
Sam counts the next due day from the last dose you logged. A skipped entry does not move it. The card shows the next day, "Due today", or how many days the date has passed. That is arithmetic on your entries, not advice on the interval. If your practice names a different date, you sort out with them which one counts.
The notification never shows a dose. Whether its text appears on the lock screen is an iPhone notification-preview setting. The reminder is a notification on your iPhone. It only arrives if notifications for Sam are allowed and reminders are on for that medication. For an important appointment, do not rely on it alone: keep a calendar entry or your practice's recall as well.
Log injection dates in Sam and get a reminder on the due day
You see the date of the last injection and the next due day in one place.
- Versus a calendar note from months ago: you log each injection with its day instead of remembering it.
- Versus counting yourself: Sam counts from the last dose you logged and reminds you on the due day, at the time you choose.
- Versus loose notes for the appointment: if the medication is linked to a program, its own diary with a doctor report, the days appear in that report under Regular treatments.
Sam records and reminds. Your practice sets the interval. More on the medication list in Sam.
Try Sam HealthSam is a wellness companion, not a medical device. The app does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult qualified professionals for medical decisions.
Related reading
- Medication list for your doctor: what to include
- Pill reminder on iPhone: what helps when you forget
- Logging a dose change: what to record
- Medication list: template or app?
Sources
Updated: October 2026
- ISMP: Keep a Record of Your Medicines
- MedlinePlus: Make the most of your doctor visit
- MedlinePlus: Taking multiple medicines safely
- NHS: Medicines: tips for carers
- aponet.de: Selbst spritzen: Keine Angst (German)
More on recording and taking it along
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep track of an injection every 12 weeks?+
Write down the date of each injection, note the next date your practice gives you, and set a reminder. In Sam you add the medication with an interval of 1 to 12 weeks or months. Sam counts from the last dose you logged and reminds you on the due day.
Is every 12 weeks the same as every 3 months?+
Your prescriber and the patient leaflet decide that, not this article. Ask whether they count weeks or calendar months. In Sam you set the interval in weeks or in months.
What should I write down for each injection?+
The date, who gave it (your practice, you, or someone helping you), the next date your practice names, and questions for the next visit. Note the injection site only if your practice records it. Patient information sites such as MedlinePlus and ISMP advise keeping a medicine list and bringing it to every appointment.
Who gives the injection?+
Your prescriber decides. Some injections are given by a practice or clinic. Others you give yourself after your practice or pharmacist shows you how, and some people get help from a carer.
What if I miss the date or it moves?+
It depends on the medicine. Your practice, your pharmacist and the patient leaflet tell you what applies to yours. Sam gives no rule for this. A skipped entry does not move the next due day in Sam.
How do I store the injection?+
The patient leaflet says. If it is missing or unclear, ask a pharmacist.
Does the injection appear in the doctor report?+
Only if the medication is linked to a program, meaning its own diary with a doctor report and a monthly questionnaire. The program's doctor report then lists it under Regular treatments with the days you logged and no percentage. There is no separate export of the medication list.
Does a reminder app replace talking to my practice?+
No. An app records and reminds. What applies to you is a conversation with your practice or pharmacy.