Could 3, 2023 – With the blockbuster kind 2 diabetes drug Ozempic as well-liked as ever, folks with diabetes and people wanting to make use of it for weight reduction have been struggling to get their arms on it amid widespread shortages. There are over 4 million sufferers prescribed Ozempic worldwide, in line with producer Novo Nordisk’s web site. People are being prescribed the drug at a unprecedented tempo and make up reportedly round 10% of world prescriptions. 

Along with provide points, the value of Ozempic is also a serious hurdle. Some People have even tried flocking to Canada to attempt to get the drug at a reduced worth. Canada sells Ozempic at a whopping $700 lower than within the U.S, the place it will possibly value greater than $1,000 a month. The British Columbia Ministry of Well being launched a report saying 1000’s of U.S. residents have been filling their Ozempic prescriptions in its area. Out of all doses distributed in British Columbia, 15% (15,798 doses) had been bought to People in January and February.

So precisely how a lot money will it’s a must to shell for the so-called miracle drug? Maintain studying for extra data. 

How A lot Does Ozempic Price?

Lots – to place it merely. A field or one pen, which may final you 30 days, can value practically $1,200 ($1,122.92), relying in your pharmacy, mentioned Walter Oronsaye, PharmD, a Houston-based pharmacist who creates on-line content material with details about pharmaceuticals, together with drug shortages. 

However should you’re one of many fortunate ones whose insurance coverage covers the drug, it may be less expensive. Actually, the distinction might be “lots of, if not 1000’s, of {dollars} monthly for 2 completely different sufferers every with the identical prescription,” mentioned Mark Decerbo, PharmD, a Las Vegas-based pharmacist.

Carol Sortore, 44, says she pays solely $25 monthly for her Ozempic prescription. She has pre-diabetes, and her insurance coverage occurs to cowl the drug value. With out insurance coverage, her out-of-pocket value would have been $1,200, mentioned Sortore, an data safety analyst based mostly in Kansas Metropolis. 

Issues are completely different for Annie Brown, 33, whose pharmacy prices her $1,000 monthly, since her insurance coverage doesn’t cowl her prescription.

The right way to Get It For Much less

Getting Ozempic at a reduced charge relies on plenty of issues. Folks with personal insurance coverage will in the end get Ozempic at a less expensive worth. This might be as little as $25 for a month for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month provide, Oronsaye mentioned.

If paying out of pocket, you may have the ability to get it cheaper in case your pharmacy takes low cost playing cards, such as GoodRx. With this selection, you can save just a few hundred {dollars}. For instance, you can pay round $850 to $900 with these playing cards vs. paying the total $1,200 out-of-pocket value, Oronsaye mentioned. Together with her GoodRx low cost, Brown pays $500 for Ozempic vs. the $1,000 out-of-pocket value. 

You probably have personal insurance coverage, you possibly can textual content “BEGIN” to 21848 to obtain an Ozempic Financial savings Card from the drugmaker, in line with Decerbo. “You see [patients] pay as little as $25 monthly copay for the remedy, with a most financial savings of as much as $150 for a 1-month prescription, $300 for a 2-month prescription, and $450 for a 3-month prescription as much as a complete of two years.”

How Do You Get a Prescription?

First, you need to schedule an in-person appointment along with your physician to see if Ozempic may be best for you. However there are different choices to get the drug shipped straight to your house – no in-person appointment vital, Decerbo mentioned.

“Within the present post-COVID period, newer distinctive fashions to acquire prescriptions have developed,” he mentioned. “Many suppliers, together with nurse practitioners, have now embraced telemedicine, the place an affected person may be evaluated on-line for appropriateness of Ozempic, with an digital prescription for the remedy, then despatched to the affected person’s pharmacy.”

Bear in mind: Your insurance coverage firm may refuse to cowl the drug should you take Ozempic for weight reduction functions solely, if you do not have diabetes. 



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