Frequently Asked Questions
Considering Ozempic®
Ozempic® is used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
There are many reasons that Ozempic® could be right for you if you have type 2 diabetes and you're struggling to lower your blood sugar and reach your A1C goal.
Ozempic® is proven to lower blood sugar and A1C.
Ozempic® may help you lose some weight.
Ozempic® is not for weight loss.
Ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.
Ask your healthcare provider if Ozempic® is right for you. Download a discussion guide to help get the conversation started.
Ozempic® injection 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg is an injectable prescription medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar. It also lowers the risk of major cardiovascular (CV) events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.
Ask your healthcare provider if Ozempic® is right for you. Download a discussion guide to help get the conversation started.
A majority of adults taking Ozempic® lowered their A1C, reached an A1C under 7%, and maintained it.ª
Below are the percentages of adults who reached an A1C less than 7% with an average starting A1C of 8.1%:
- 66% of people taking 0.5 mg Ozempic®
- 73% of people taking 1 mg Ozempic®
- 40% of people taking 100 mg Januvia®
ªResults from a large one-year study of 1231 adults when once-weekly Ozempic® or once-daily Januvia® was added to one or more diabetes pills.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that a reasonable goal for most adults with type 2 diabetes is an A1C less than 7%. Your health care provider will tell you what goal is right for you.
While not for weight loss, Ozempic® may help you lose some weight.
People with an average starting weight of 197 pounds lost arounda,b:
- 9 pounds on 0.5 mg Ozempic®
- 12 pounds on 1 mg Ozempic®
- 4 pounds on 100 mg Januvia®
ªIn a large one-year study looking at change in A1C in 1231 adults with type 2 diabetes when Ozempic® or Januvia® was added to one or more diabetes pills.
bWhile many people in this medical study lost weight, some did gain weight.
Yes. A study showed that in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, Ozempic® lowers the risk of cardiovascular (CV) events such as heart attack, stroke, or death.
Non-insulin Ozempic® works with your body’s own ability to lower blood sugar and A1C. Ozempic® helps your body release its own insulin. And it's designed to respond when your blood sugar rises.
Ozempic® works to lower blood sugar in 3 ways:
1
Helps your pancreas release more insulin when your blood sugar is high
2
Helps prevent your liver from making and releasing too much sugar
3
Slows down food leaving your stomach
Savings & Support
With the Ozempic® Savings Card, you may pay as little as $25a for a 1-month, 2-month, or 3-month supply for up to 24 months.
To receive offer, prescription must be for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month supply.
ªSavings card offer applies to eligible commercially insured patients with coverage for Ozempic®. Maximum savings of $150 for a 1-month prescription, $300 for a 2-month prescription, and $450 for a 3-month prescription. Month is defined as 28 days. Offer is good for up to 24 months. Eligibility and other restrictions apply.
You can look up your co-pay and see how much Ozempic® will cost you.
With Ozempic® you get access to TexT2Connect—a free savings and support program. After signing up you’ll get text support with reminders, inspiration, and resources to help you start and stay on Ozempic®.
Text BEGIN to 21848 to get started.
Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mobile service provider. See Terms and Conditions of Use.
Give us a call for one-on-one live support from a Diabetes Health Coach—and to learn more about taking Ozempic®.
Call 1-866-696-4090 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm ET
You can speak with a Diabetes Health Coach by calling 1-866-696-4090.
The Diabetes Health Coach will be happy to answer your questions about Ozempic®.
Taking Ozempic®
You take Ozempic® once-weekly with an Ozempic® pen. Read the Medication Guide and Instructions for Use that comes with Ozempic®. Use Ozempic® exactly as your health care provider tells you to.
Your health care provider should show you how to use Ozempic® before you use it for the first time. Ozempic® is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm. Do not inject Ozempic® into a muscle (intramuscularly) or vein (intravenously).
When taken as instructed, Ozempic®, along with diet and exercise, may help lower your blood sugar and A1C.
Ozempic® may help you lose some weight. Ozempic® is not for weight loss.
While taking Ozempic®, you may experience some side effects.
The most common side effects of Ozempic® may include:
Nausea
Diarrhea
Stomach (abdominal) pain
Vomiting
Constipation
With any medicine, it’s very important to talk to your health care provider about side effects—talk to yours about any side effect that bothers you or doesn't go away.
If you experience nausea, here are some tips that you might find helpful:
Eat bland, low-fat foods, like crackers, toast, and rice
Eat foods that contain water, like soups and gelatin
Avoid fried, greasy, or sweet foods
Avoid lying down after you eat
Go outdoors for fresh air
Eat more slowly
Drink clear or ice-cold drinks
For a complete list of possible side effects of Ozempic®, see Prescribing Information and Medication Guide. For medical advice about side effects, talk with your health care provider. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Ozempic® is taken once a week, exactly as prescribed by your health care provider.
Getting started
The beginning dose is 0.25 mg once a week for the first 4 weeks. This will help give your body a chance to get used to the medicine.
At Week 5, your health care provider will increase the dose to 0.5 mg once a week.
Additional control
Your A1C needs may shift as your type 2 diabetes changes. That’s why Ozempic® offers a 1 mg and a 2 mg dose to give you additional A1C control. And while your dose may change, nothing will change about how you take Ozempic®—the 1 mg and 2 mg dose pens are similar to the pen you already use.
The maximum dose of Ozempic® is 2 mg once a week. Always follow your health care provider's instructions on how to dose Ozempic®.
How to store your Ozempic® pen
Store your new, unused Ozempic® pens in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).
Store your pen in use for 56 days at room temperature between 59ºF to 86ºF (15ºC to 30ºC) or in a refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).
Living With Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or doesn’t respond to insulin properly. To understand type 2 diabetes, you need to know what insulin is and why your body needs it.
The main ingredient in Ozempic® is called semaglutide, a man-made version of the human GLP-1 molecule, with some changes.
GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a natural hormone that helps your body keep blood sugar in balance. GLP-1 treatments work like this naturally occurring hormone.
Ozempic® and My Type 2 Transformation offer videos, recipes, and more to help you learn about healthy eating. Ozempic®, along with diet and exercise, can help lower A1C for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic® and My Type 2 Transformation offer videos and more to help you stay active. Ozempic®, along with diet and exercise, can help lower A1C for adults with type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic® and My Type 2 Transformation offer videos and more to help you learn techniques for dealing with stress and staying motivated as you manage your type 2 diabetes.
