Ozempic costs $149 to $499 a month without insurance

Ozempic is Novo Nordisk's semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, taken once a week by injection or once a day as a tablet. Using it for weight loss is off-label.

You need a prescription for every form. NovoCare charges $199 for each of your first two pen fills if you are new, then $349 to $499 a month by dose.

What does Ozempic cost without insurance?

NovoCare sells Ozempic to you directly with a prescription, and your price depends on the form and the dose.

Pen, your first two fills at 0.25 or 0.5 mg$199/moIf you are new to NovoCare; offer runs through December 31, 2026.
Pen, 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg or 1 mg after that$349/mo
Pen, 2 mg$499/mo
Ozempic tablets, 1.5 mg$149/moNovoCare's starting tablet price. Your price varies by dose.

If your commercial plan covers Ozempic, the Ozempic savings card can lower what you pay at the pharmacy. If you have Medicare, Medicaid or another government plan, you cannot use the card. Our Ozempic cost page sets every cash route side by side with compounded semaglutide prices.

We checked NovoCare's Ozempic savings and self-pay terms on October 15, 2026.

What is Ozempic approved for?

The FDA approved Ozempic for adults with type 2 diabetes, and the pen and the tablets each carry their own approved uses.

Ozempic pen, once a week: It lowers blood sugar alongside diet and exercise. It lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It lowers the risk of lasting kidney decline, kidney failure and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Ozempic tablets, once a day: They lower blood sugar alongside diet and exercise, and they lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk of those events.
Active ingredient: Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Wegovy and Rybelsus contain the same molecule.
Maker: Novo Nordisk

We read the Ozempic pen label and the Rybelsus and Ozempic tablets label on DailyMed on October 16, 2026.

Can you use Ozempic for weight loss?

Your prescriber can write Ozempic for weight loss, but that use is off-label, because weight loss is not one of its approved uses.

The FDA approved Wegovy, the same semaglutide, to reduce excess body weight and keep it off long term, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and more activity, in adults with obesity or with overweight and at least one weight-related condition. The Wegovy injection is also approved for children 12 and older with obesity.

If weight is your goal, ask your prescriber about Wegovy, and check whether your plan covers an off-label Ozempic prescription before you count on it. Our Ozempic alternatives page sorts the other routes by your question.

We read the Wegovy label, which covers the injection and the tablets, on DailyMed on October 16, 2026.

How is Ozempic different from Wegovy, Rybelsus and compounded semaglutide?

Wegovy, Rybelsus and compounded semaglutide contain the same molecule as Ozempic, and each one differs in what it is approved for or how it is made.

Wegovy: It contains semaglutide and is approved for long-term weight reduction in adults with obesity, or with overweight and a weight-related condition, as a weekly injection or a daily pill.
Rybelsus: Its semaglutide tablets treat type 2 diabetes. Rybelsus and Ozempic tablets share one label, and you cannot swap their strengths milligram for milligram.
Compounded semaglutide: A pharmacy prepares it. It is not FDA-approved, and the FDA does not review it for safety, effectiveness or quality before it is sold.
Mounjaro: It contains tirzepatide, a different molecule, from Eli Lilly, and it is also approved for type 2 diabetes.

We read the tablets label and the Mounjaro label on DailyMed, and the FDA's page on unapproved GLP-1 drugs, on October 16, 2026.

Questions people ask about Ozempic

Is Ozempic used for weight loss only?

No. The FDA approved Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes and to lower heart and kidney risks in adults with type 2 diabetes. Weight loss is not one of its approved uses, so a prescription for weight loss alone is off-label.

How do you get Ozempic?

You need a prescription from a licensed prescriber. With one, your pharmacy fills it through your plan, or you can buy it from NovoCare Pharmacy at its self-pay price, from $149 a month depending on the form and dose.

Is there an Ozempic pill?

Yes. Ozempic tablets come in 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg, taken once a day, for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Can you use the Ozempic savings card with Medicare?

No. Novo Nordisk excludes people with government insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, from the Ozempic savings card.

Where to go next

Pick the page that answers your next question.

Ozempic cost without insurance: See every NovoCare cash price and the compounded semaglutide prices we verified.
Ozempic coupon and savings card: Learn what the card saves you when your commercial plan covers Ozempic.
Ozempic pill: Compare the tablet strengths and prices, and see how they differ from Rybelsus.
Ozempic alternatives: Weigh Wegovy, Zepbound and compounded options, sorted by your question.
Ozempic side effects: Check label rates and the warning signs to raise with your prescriber.
Ozempic face checklist: Take these questions to your clinician.
Coverage in your state: Check your state's Medicaid policy on GLP-1 medicines and the official help near you.
GLP-1 eligibility checker: Run a first screen of the questions a prescriber asks before you book a visit.
Ozempic vs Wegovy: See how one molecule carries two approvals and two dose ladders.
Mounjaro vs Ozempic: Compare two diabetes medicines built on two different molecules.
Ozempic plateau: Learn why your weight can stop moving, and what to ask your prescriber.
Ozempic for PCOS: Read the evidence, the coverage rules and the cost.
Berberine vs Ozempic: See what the supplement evidence shows.

This page gives you information, not medical advice. Your prescriber decides which medicine and dose suit you. If you have Medicare, read our Medicare GLP-1 coverage guide.