Ozempic: Uses, How It Works, Side Effects, Cost, Coverage
Ozempic is a weekly injection of semaglutide made by Novo Nordisk, first FDA approved in 2017, for type 2 diabetes, heart risk and kidney disease in type 2 diabetes. List price is $1,027.51 per pen; self-pay starts at $199 per month. Nausea is the most common side effect in its label: 20.3% vs 6.1% on placebo.
- Active ingredient
- semaglutide
- Manufacturer
- Novo Nordisk
- How it is taken
- weekly injection
- First FDA approval
- 2017
- List price
- $1,027.51 per pen
- Self-pay from
- $199 per month
- Most common side effect
- Nausea 20.3% vs 6.1% on placebo
- FDA shortage
- Resolved February 21, 2025
Ozempic at a glance
About 1 week is the half-life, with half gone by 7 d and about 3% remaining after five half-lives (35 d).
In SUSTAIN 1 (30 weeks) with type 2 diabetes, people lost 4.7 kg, versus 1.2 kg on placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars: the list price and self-pay offers, each one from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
Ozempic uses and forms
The FDA label is the source for Ozempic uses, forms and warnings. Your prescriber and the label decide your dose.
| What the label says | |
|---|---|
| Approved use | Used with diet and exercise, it lowers blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. |
| Approved use | Heart attack, stroke or heart-related death: risk is lower for adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease who take this medicine. |
| Approved use | It lowers the chance of heart-related death, kidney failure and worsening kidney disease in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. |
| Forms | Injection pen (multi-dose) and single-dose prefilled syringe |
| Strengths on the label | 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg |
| Boxed warning | Boxed warning: rodents developed thyroid C-cell tumors from it; whether people do the same is unknown. Do not use it if you have had medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), if a family member has had it, or if you have MEN 2. |
| Storage | After first use, new pens may remain at room temperature or in a refrigerator for 56 days, but keep unused pens in the fridge. Do not freeze. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Ozempic side effects
In the label's trials, this presents side effects and their frequency next to placebo (a dummy treatment). Participants: adults with type 2 diabetes.
| Side effect | Ozempic 0.5 mg | Ozempic 1 mg | Placebo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 15.8% | 20.3% | 6.1% |
| Vomiting | 5% | 9.2% | 2.3% |
| Diarrhea | 8.5% | 8.8% | 1.9% |
| Abdominal pain | 7.3% | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Constipation | 5% | 3.1% | 1.5% |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Also listed on the label: Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use of Insulin Secretagogues or Insulin, Acute Kidney Injury Due to fluid loss in the body. Warnings also cover severe gastrointestinal adverse Reactions, Acute Gallbladder Disease, plus Hypersensitivity Reactions.
Label warnings come from: FDA DailyMed label.
Ozempic interactions
| Taken with | What the label says |
|---|---|
| Insulin or sulfonylureas | If you take it with insulin or a sulfonylurea (such as glipizide or glimepiride), the chance of low blood sugar goes up; your doctor may lower those doses. |
| Oral medicines | It slows down how fast your stomach empties, and that can change the way your body takes in other pills. |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Check a GLP-1 interaction
Ozempic cost and coverage
| How you pay | Price |
|---|---|
| List price before insurance | $1,027.51 per pen |
| Ozempic Savings Offer (insured) | you can pay starting at $25 per month for up to 3 months |
| Self-pay: Ozempic pill (from 1.5 mg) | $149 per month |
| Self-pay intro pricing for the Ozempic pen: the first 2 fills come in the 0.25 mg and the 0.5 mg doses | $199 per month |
| Self-pay: Ozempic pen strengths of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg | $349 per month |
| Self-pay: Ozempic pen 2 mg | $499 per month |
| Self-pay via TrumpRx | $199 per month |
Prices checked in November 2026, taken from Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, TrumpRx.
- Ozempic Coupon
- Ozempic Cost
- Ozempic Cost Without Insurance
- Ozempic Cost With Insurance
- Is Ozempic Covered by Insurance? Criteria, Copay, Appeal
- Ozempic at GoodRx
- Does Medicare Cover Ozempic? Part D Rules and the GLP-1 Bridge
- Ozempic Patient Assistance
- Cheapest Way to Get Ozempic
- Does Medicaid Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does BCBS Cover Ozempic? Coverage by Plan and State
- Ozempic Cost at Walmart
Alternatives to Ozempic
| Medicine | Ingredient | How it is taken | Shared use | Trial weight loss | Self-pay from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Wegovy | semaglutide | weekly injection or daily tablet | heart risk | 14.9% | $149 per month |
 Rybelsus | semaglutide | daily tablet | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
 Mounjaro | tirzepatide | weekly injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
 Trulicity | dulaglutide | weekly injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
 Victoza | liraglutide | daily injection | heart risk and type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
| Byetta | exenatide | twice-daily injection | type 2 diabetes | Not listed | Not listed |
Sources: TrumpRx, FDA label (DailyMed).
- Wegovy vs Ozempic
- Zepbound vs Ozempic
- Tirzepatide vs Ozempic
- Ozempic vs Mounjaro
- Ozempic Alternatives
- Is Semaglutide the Same as Ozempic? Brand, Generic, Compounded
- Natural Ozempic? Berberine, Fiber and BRP
- GLP-1 vs Ozempic
- Rybelsus vs Ozempic (Pill and Shot)
- Mounjaro vs Ozempic
- Ozempic vs Trulicity
- Saxenda vs Ozempic
The Ozempic label and studies
See the full Ozempic prescribing details on DailyMed.
Every Ozempic page
Side effects and safety
- How Long Do Ozempic Side Effects Last? Timeline by Symptom
- Is Ozempic Safe? Warnings, Who Should Not Take It, Long-Term Data
- Ozempic Allergic Reaction
- Ozempic and High Blood Pressure
- Ozempic and Sex Drive
- Ozempic and Your Kidneys
- Ozempic Appetite
- Ozempic Bloating
- Ozempic Body
- Ozempic Breath
- Ozempic Bruising
- Ozempic Butt
- Ozempic Constipation
- Ozempic Diarrhea
- Ozempic Dizziness
- Ozempic Dry Mouth, Metallic Taste, Mouth Sores
- Ozempic Face Before and After
- Ozempic Fatigue
- Ozempic Gallbladder Problems
- Ozempic Hair Loss
- Ozempic Headache
- Ozempic Heartburn
- Ozempic Hiccups
- Ozempic Hot Flashes
- Ozempic Hypoglycemia
- Ozempic Insomnia
- Ozempic Joint Pain
- Ozempic Liver
- Ozempic Long-Term Side Effects
- Ozempic Menstrual
- Ozempic Mental Side Effects
- Ozempic Muscle Loss
- Ozempic Nausea
- Ozempic Pancreatitis
- Ozempic Side Effects
- Ozempic Side Effects in Non Diabetics
- Ozempic Side Effects in Women
- Ozempic Skin Side Effects
- Ozempic Sore Throat
- Ozempic Stomach Pain
- Ozempic Stool Changes
- Ozempic Sulfur Burps
- Ozempic Teeth
- Ozempic Vision
- Ozempic Vomiting
- Ozempic Weight Gain
Interactions
- Ozempic and Adderall
- Ozempic and Alcohol
- Ozempic and Antidepressants
- Ozempic and Birth Control
- Ozempic and Coffee
- Ozempic and Insulin
- Ozempic and Januvia
- Ozempic and Jardiance
- Ozempic and Metformin
- Ozempic and Nosebleeds
- Ozempic and Over-the-Counter Drugs
- Ozempic and Painkillers
- Ozempic and Probiotics
- Ozempic and Sleepiness
- Ozempic and Stomach Pain
- Ozempic and Trouble Sleeping
- Ozempic and Water Retention
- Ozempic and Wellbutrin
Who it is for
- How to Qualify for Ozempic
- Ozempic and Pregnancy
- Ozempic Before Surgery
- Ozempic for After Bariatric Surgery
- Ozempic for Binge Eating
- Ozempic for Depression Patients
- Ozempic for Insulin Resistance
- Ozempic for Men
- Ozempic for PCOS (PMOS)
- Ozempic for Prediabetes
- Ozempic for Seniors
- Ozempic for Teens
- Ozempic for Thyroid Conditions
- Ozempic for Type 1 Diabetes
- Ozempic for Type 2 Diabetes
- Ozempic for Weight Loss
- Ozempic While Breastfeeding
How it compares to other drugs
- GLP-1 vs Ozempic
- Is Semaglutide the Same as Ozempic? Brand, Generic, Compounded
- Mounjaro vs Ozempic
- Natural Ozempic? Berberine, Fiber and BRP
- Ozempic Alternatives
- Ozempic vs Adlyxin
- Ozempic vs Intermittent Fasting
- Ozempic vs Januvia
- Ozempic vs Keto
- Ozempic vs Mounjaro
- Ozempic vs Orforglipron
- Ozempic vs Phentermine
- Ozempic vs Retatrutide
- Ozempic vs Trulicity
- Ozempic vs Victoza
- Ozempic vs Wellbutrin
- Rybelsus vs Ozempic (Pill and Shot)
- Saxenda vs Ozempic
- Tirzepatide vs Ozempic
- Wegovy vs Ozempic
- Zepbound vs Ozempic
Cost, savings and coverage
- Cheapest Way to Get Ozempic
- Does Aetna Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does Ambetter Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does Amerigroup Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does BCBS Cover Ozempic? Coverage by Plan and State
- Does Cigna Cover Ozempic? PA Criteria, Formulary Tier, Copay
- Does Kaiser Cover Ozempic? Criteria by Region, Copay, Options
- Does Medicaid Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does Medicare Cover Ozempic? Part D Rules and the GLP-1 Bridge
- Does TRICARE Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, How to Appeal
- Does UnitedHealthcare Cover Ozempic? Criteria, Copay, Appeals
- Is Ozempic Covered by Insurance? Criteria, Copay, Appeal
- Ozempic at Amazon Pharmacy
- Ozempic at Cost Plus Drugs
- Ozempic at Costco
- Ozempic at GoodRx
- Ozempic at Publix
- Ozempic at SingleCare
- Ozempic at Walgreens
- Ozempic Cost
- Ozempic Cost at Walmart
- Ozempic Cost With Insurance
- Ozempic Cost Without Insurance
- Ozempic Coupon
- Ozempic Patient Assistance
Getting a prescription
Living with it
- Celebrities on Ozempic
- How to Not Gain Weight After Stopping Ozempic
- Oh Oh Oh Ozempic
- Ozempic and Blood Sugar
- Ozempic and Carbs
- Ozempic and Creatine
- Ozempic and Exercise
- Ozempic and Intermittent Fasting
- Ozempic and Keto
- Ozempic and Vitamins
- Ozempic Before and After
- Ozempic Diet
- Ozempic Foods to Avoid (and Why They Trigger Nausea and Reflux)
- Ozempic Meal Plan
- Ozempic Not Working? The Checklist, in Order
- Ozempic on Reddit
- Ozempic Plateau
- Ozempic Results
- Ozempic Reviews
- Ozempic Timeline
- Protein on Ozempic
The label, trials and news
- Compounded Ozempic
- Is Ozempic Insulin? No. What It Is and How It Differs
- Is There a Generic Ozempic? Status, Timeline, and What Counts as
- Ozempic Benefits Beyond Weight
- Ozempic FDA Approval
- Ozempic Lawsuit
- Ozempic Pen
- Ozempic Pill
- Ozempic Prescribing Information, Explained Section by Section
- Ozempic Trial
- Ozempic Vial
- What Ozempic Does