What Does Foundayo Look Like? Strengths, Appearance and Storage
Check three things, not just one: colour, shape, and the code stamped into the tablet. Colour alone isn't enough, because it repeats - the same pink, light yellow or greyish purple appears on two of Foundayo's six strengths, not one each. This page sets out what every strength looks like, the pack sizes available, and how to store your tablets correctly, taken directly from Foundayo's own UK patient information leaflet (PIL).
Why checking appearance matters
Most people don't look closely at their Foundayo tablets until a dose increase brings a new pack that looks different. That's expected: as your dose moves up through Foundayo's titration schedule, the tablet itself changes too, not just the number on the label. Knowing what to expect at each strength means a different-looking pack confirms your dose has changed correctly, rather than leaving you wondering whether something's gone wrong.
Appearance by strength
| Strength | Colour | Shape | Approximate size | Debossed code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8mg | Pink | Round | ~6mm diameter | "G1" on one side, "L" on the other |
| 2.5mg | Light yellow | Round | ~6mm diameter | "G2" on one side, "L" on the other |
| 5.5mg | Greyish purple | Round | ~6mm diameter | "G3" on one side, "L" on the other |
| 9mg | Pink | Modified oval | ~10mm x 5mm | "G4" on one side, "Lilly" on the other |
| 14.5mg | Light yellow | Modified oval | ~12mm x 6mm | "G5" on one side, "Lilly" on the other |
| 17.2mg | Greyish purple | Modified oval | ~12mm x 6mm | "G6" on one side, "Lilly" on the other |
Look closely and a pattern emerges: each colour is used twice. Pink covers 0.8mg and 9mg; light yellow covers 2.5mg and 14.5mg; greyish purple covers 5.5mg and 17.2mg. What separates all six is shape, round for the three lower doses, oval for the three higher ones, plus the debossed code. The code is the most reliable single check, since it doesn't shift with lighting or a slightly different print batch the way colour can.
Pack sizes
Foundayo tablets come in blister packs of 30 or 90, whatever strength you're taking. The PIL notes that not every pack size is necessarily marketed for every strength at every point, so don't assume your usual pharmacy will always have both available.
How to store Foundayo
Foundayo's storage rules are short, but one part is easy to miss. The UK PIL's main instruction is about light, not heat, and it gives no numeric temperature range at all:
- Store tablets in their original packaging, to protect them from light. Foundayo is light-sensitive.
- Keep it out of the sight and reach of children.
- Don't use a tablet after the expiry date on the carton or blister, printed after "EXP". This refers to the last day of that month.
- Don't throw unused tablets away in household waste or down the sink. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of them safely.
Some pages online describe a specific storage temperature, commonly 20–25°C, and mention keeping tablets in a bottle. Neither detail is in the UK PIL, and the UK product comes in blister packs, not a bottle. That wording looks carried over from US prescribing information for the same brand name, not the product prescribed here. A normal room, away from direct light, is what the UK PIL's instruction amounts to in practice.
What to do if a tablet looks different from what you expect
If a newly dispensed tablet doesn't match the table above for your strength, don't take it yet. Check the label on your pack first, since that confirms the strength your pharmacist intended to give you. If the code, shape and colour still don't add up, contact your pharmacist or prescriber before your next dose rather than guessing.
Pharmacist insight: this is almost always a quick, ordinary check, a different print batch, a change of pharmacy, or simply not having looked closely before. A short call to whoever dispensed it is usually all it takes to confirm you have the right tablet. -Alessandro Grenci, Superintendent Pharmacist at medino
This page can't tell you whether a specific tablet is genuine or tampered with, and it isn't meant to. If anything about a dispensed medicine concerns you beyond a straightforward appearance mismatch, ask your pharmacist or prescriber rather than relying on a self-check against a table. For general orientation on Foundayo overall, see Medino's complete Foundayo overview.
Frequently asked questions
Does Foundayo need to be kept in the fridge?
No. Foundayo is a tablet, and the UK PIL's storage instructions don't mention refrigeration at all, only that it should stay in its original packaging, away from light. That's different from injectable GLP-1 medicines, which typically do need cold-chain storage; as a swallowed tablet, Foundayo doesn't carry the same requirement.
Why did my Foundayo tablets change colour when my dose went up?
Because colour is shared between two strengths, not unique to one. Moving from a round, lower-dose tablet to an oval, higher-dose one changes the shape, and can bring back a colour you had at an earlier, lower dose too. That's expected. Check the debossed code against the table above to confirm exactly which strength you're now on.
