Documenting GLP-1 therapy: the available approaches
Updated: 2026-09
There are four common approaches to documenting GLP-1 therapy: paper, a general notes app, a general health app, and a specialised companion. The difference lies mainly in whether injection site, dose history and symptoms are captured in a structured way.
Anyone starting GLP-1 therapy soon finds that memory alone is not enough: at the review appointment what counts is how often and how severely a side effect occurred, and how it related to a dose increase.
There are several routes for that documentation, and none is right for everyone. The decisive difference is whether the details specific to the therapy — injection site, dose history, symptom severity — are captured in a structured way or as free text.
The options at a glance
Paper or a notebook
Best for: People who keep a diary anyway and need only a few details.
Very low barrier and no data sharing. A course over months can only be read out of it with difficulty, though, and a report for the appointment does not emerge by itself.
A general notes app
Best for: Anyone already using a notes app and collecting everything there.
Flexible and immediately available. Without a fixed structure, details get recorded inconsistently, which makes later comparison over time harder.
A general health app
Best for: Anyone already tracking weight and activity.
Covers weight and general measures well. Therapy-specific details such as injection site and dose history are usually not provided for.
A specialised companion
Best for: Anyone wanting to document the therapy in a structured way and prepare for appointments.
Captures the therapy-specific details in a structured way and generates a report from them. It presupposes that you want to use another app.
When an alternative is the better choice
You need only a simple reminder for the injection and no history.
You already keep a system you maintain reliably.
You do not want health data in another application.
FAQ
Does an app replace medical advice?
No. Penday is a companion and documentation app. For medical questions, speak to your doctor.
Why does the injection site matter?
Because repeated injections at the same site can alter the tissue and impair absorption. That is why rotation is suggested.
Is paper not enough?
For a reminder alone, yes. What paper does not provide is a structured course over months and a report that needs no reconstruction.
Where is the data held?
Exclusively in the EU. Database and hosting run in Frankfurt, with no tracking and no advertising.
Penday
The injection tracker records day, time, dose and site with automatic rotation suggestions following FITTER — details general apps do not provide for.
The clinician report summarises adherence, symptom course and progress as a PDF in one tap, for the appointment or an assessment.
Data held exclusively in the EU, hosted in Frankfurt, to GDPR and revDSG standards, with no tracking and no advertising.