Metformin is a widely used first-line medication for treating type 2 diabetes and can also be considered a lower-cost alternative to semaglutide (Ozempic).
Saxenda is an approved weight loss medication, and is readily available in Australia. Cost is approximately $387 a month. The knock on effect from the Ozempic shortage, is that Trulicity which is manufactured by Ely-Lilly is now in short supply.
Other GLP-1 agonists that are alternatives to Ozempic include Byetta, Victoza, Tanzeum, Trulicity, and Mounjaro.
Mounjaro is a more effective drug than Ozempic. As demonstrated above, tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) leads to more clinically significant weight loss and blood sugar reductions than semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic).
If you have private or commercial insurance, such as insurance you receive through an employer, you may be eligible to pay as little as $25 for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month prescription (maximum savings of $150 per 1-month prescription, $300 per 2-month prescription, or $450 per 3-month prescription).
PhenQ – This all-natural weight loss supplement offers almost the same benefits as Ozempic and other semaglutide drugs. It's also more versatile than Ozempic because aside from suppressing appetite, it also boosts metabolism to help patients burn more calories throughout the day.
'Ozempic stocks are available in Australia; however, there will be limited and intermittent availability until June 2023,' the statement reads.
Extra supplies of the diabetes drug Ozempic, which is highly sought after for weight loss, should arrive in Australia by July, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Ozempic stimulates the release of insulin and lowers blood sugar. When you abruptly stop using it, the amount of glucose in your body can spike, especially if you have diabetes. Some may end up in the ER due to sheer exhaustion from the blood sugar spikes and crashes.
A person can stay on Ozempic® so long as they are tolerating the medication and it is deemed appropriate by their treating provider. There is no specific time frame when someone should stop taking Ozempic as it is a medication that is intended for chronic (long-term) use.
Medicare covers Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes
Medicare prescription drug plans might cover Ozempic, but only to treat diabetes. In 2021, Medicare spent over $2.6 billion to cover Ozempic prescriptions. Because it's an outpatient prescription drug, Ozempic falls under Medicare Part D.
Mail order prescription services like CVS Caremark, OptumRX, or Express Scripts may provide Ozempic at lower prices. They can supply a 90-day supply versus 30 days at retail, which may reduce costs depending on your insurance. However, there are delays as medication is shipped to you.
Semaglutide, which is taken as a weekly injection that is self-administered, helps people with type 2 diabetes to control their blood sugar and in many cases also lose weight.
If you take Wegovy or Ozempic to lose weight, will you need to keep taking the drugs indefinitely? Yes. As with many chronic conditions, most people who use the drugs for diabetes or weight loss will need to keep taking them to keep benefiting from them.
As well as regulating medicines, the TGA also regulates the advertising of therapeutic goods to the public in Australia. Prescription-only medicines such as Ozempic can't be advertised to the public in Australia.
Generic Semaglutide is 8 times cheaper than its branded versions. You can get it for only $149 per 6-week supply from Semaspace.com. And you can even get free shipping and an injection kit by using the promo code 50OFF for your first purchase.
For most people, stopping Ozempic cold turkey is not recommended. When to stop Ozempic is an individual decision you should come to with the help of your healthcare provider. If your health provider agrees it's time to stop taking Ozempic, they will provide you with instructions for tapering off your dose.
Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable medication formulated to help adults with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. Although not officially a weight loss drug, research suggests that people who take Ozempic may lose modest amounts of weight while on the medication.
On the PBS, Ozempic costs Australians about $42 a month (four weekly injections). On a private prescription, the cost is about $132 a month. According to the medical news website WebMD, Ozempic can cost uninsured Americans more than a $US1000 a month and many flock to Canada to save $US700 a month.
Possibly, if a doctor recommends it. Currently, Ozempic is only approved for use in people with type 2 diabetes. However, doctors may prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight loss.
Is Ozempic available for those without diabetes? Ozempic is only approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. People who don't have diabetes may be able to take Ozempic “off-label” with a prescription from their doctor. “Off-label” means for use other than what is approved by the FDA.
Ozempic isn't approved for weight loss. But because of how it works, some people taking Ozempic lose weight as a side effect. If you don't have diabetes, taking Ozempic for weight loss is considered an off-label use. Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, is approved to help people manage their weight.