Orencia

Make sure to mark your appointments on your calendar to see your provider and receive your Orencia (abatacept) dose if you're receiving it as an IV infusion. This will help make sure you're properly being monitored and won't miss any doses.

If you're receiving the Orencia (abatacept) IV infusion, let your provider know if you have diabetes and check your blood sugar at home. This is because Orencia (abatacept) can interfere with certain blood sugar test strips, which can cause falsely high blood sugar readings.

Your provider will likely have you give yourself your first dose of Orencia (abatacept) in their office or clinic to make sure you know how to give yourself the medication correctly. Refer to the instructions for use for the prefilled syringe or the ClickJect Autoinjector and contact your provider or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Store Orencia (abatacept) prefilled syringes or autoinjectors in the refrigerator and in its original packaging to protect it from light. When it's time for your dose, take a dose out of the refrigerator and lay it on a flat surface to warm up to room temperature. This will take about 30 minutes. Don't try to warm up the medication any other way (e.g., microwave, under hot water) because you might damage it.

Before you inject Orencia (abatacept), always check to make sure the liquid is clear and colorless to a pale yellow. If your medication is cloudy, discolored, or has specks floating in it, don't use it. Contact your provider or pharmacist to get a replacement.

Inject Orencia (abatacept) under the skin in the front of your middle thighs, lower part of your stomach, or your outer upper arms if someone else is giving you the injection. If you choose to inject into the stomach, inject 2 inches away from your belly button. Never inject into a muscle or vein.

To lower the risk of bruising and irritation, rotate between different injection sites each time so that the same area isn't used repeatedly. Don't inject Orencia (abatacept) into skin that's tender, red, bruised, scaly, hard, or has scars or stretch marks.

Throw away used syringes and needles in a sharps container or something made of heavy-duty plastic (e.g., empty milk carton, laundry detergent bottle) to lower the risk of needlestick injuries. Don't throw them away in your trash can.

Each Orencia (abatacept) prefilled syringe and autoinjector provides a single dose of medication. You must throw away any leftover medication after each use, even if there's still some remaining in the syringe.