Ozempic

Ozempic is recommended in the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. It is not used in the treatment of people who do not have diabetes, or in those people who may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is not used in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. 

Ozempic can also be used to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.

Although Ozempic is not a weight loss drug, using it may help you manage your weight which is beneficial to health in type 2 diabetes.

How is Ozempic used?

Ozempic is an injection that you give yourself once a week and is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) of your stomach (abdomen), thigh, or upper arm. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to do this at first so you are confident with using it. It is important that you do not inject it into a muscle (intramuscularly) or vein (intravenously), and you should change the site that you inject yourself every week - do not use the same site for each injection. 

The standard starting dose of Ozempic is 0.25mg once a week for the first 4 weeks. At week 5 your doctor will increase the dose to 0.5mg once a week. (The maximum dose is 2mg once a week). This may be different depending on an individual, always follow your doctors instructions.

You should take Ozempic once a week on the same day every week, and you can take it with or without food. You may change the day of the week that you use Ozempic as long as your last dose was taken 2 or more days before. If you forget to take your Ozempic, take the missed dose as soon as possible within 5 days after the missed dose. If more than 5 days have passed then skip your missed dose altogether and take your next dose on your regular scheduled day.

Never share your Ozempic pen with other people, even if the needle has been changed as you may give other people an infection or be at risk of catching one from them.

Ozempic should only be used in adults with type 2 diabetes to improve blood sugar levels, along with diet and exercise, and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease. It should not be used in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, or if:

• you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)

• you have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Ozempic.

Before using Ozempic for the first time you should also tell your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:

• have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneys

• have type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathy

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (you should stop using Ozempic 2 months before you plan to become pregnant)

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Ozempic passes into your breast milk

If you are taking other medication to treat diabetes, make sure your doctor is aware of this - because Ozempic slows stomach emptying it can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.

All medicines have the potential to cause side effects and Ozempic is no different here. The most common ones that may be experienced  - that affect more than 1 in 10 people taking it - include nausea, diarrhoea and low blood sugar levels. Fewer than 1 in 10 people using Ozempic experience side effects such as constipation, vomiting, indigestion and abdominal pain, dizziness and tiredness. 

Other possible side effects include pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas gland), gallbladder problems, allergic reactions and low mood. If you have diabetic eye disease (retinopathy) and are using insulin then Ozempic may lead to a worsening of your vision which may require treatment. If this occurs, inform your doctor.

Although Ozempic is not a weight-loss drug, one of its effects is that some people taking it may experience some weight loss. In clinical trials the amount of weight lost was up to 6kg. However, there is evidence that people regain weight when they stop using Ozempic so it is important to continue with a healthy diet and regular exercise at all times.

How can I get access to Ozempic in the UK?

To receive an Ozempic prescription on the NHS from your GP in the UK, you need to meet the following criteria:

• have poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

• treatment with metformin is considered inappropriate

• have a BMI of 30 or over

• have no diagnosis or family history of thyroid cancer

• have no diagnosis or family history of pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis

You can also  purchase Ozempic online from registered and regulated clinics and pharmacies in the UK where purchasing Ozempic for weight loss is considered ‘off-label’ medication use. This means that if a medicine meets the acceptable standards of efficacy, safety, and quality, it can be prescribed for use outside of what it’s been approved for.

Unfortunately, at the moment there are global shortages of Ozempic. This means that some people with type 2 diabetes who may benefit from using it are currently unable to access it. If this is the case with you, there are a number of alternative GLP-1 analogue treatments available that work in similar ways to Ozempic and your doctor can advise you as to which of these may be suitable for you as an alternative.