Semaglutide is the proper medication for a perfect diet and higher blood sugar disease. It acts like a hormone (incretin) in the body and reduces the blood sugar secretion extending the efficiency of your diet.
The average retail cost of Semaglutide is a bit more than $1,000. However, You can decrease the cost as low as $900 if any coupon applies. Ozempic 2 and 4 mg pen is priced at around $195 and the daily drug cost is between $6.5 to $7.
This is commonly prescribed to type-2 diabetes patients. After several tests, it was found that Semaglutide efficiently takes part in the dietary solution too, and enhances the probability to get the best out of your diet exercise.
What's the average cost then?
Semaglutide, the most effective medication for diabetic and weight suffering patients is sold under the brand name Ozempic. It has been taking a long time for type-2 diabetes medication.
The average retail cost of Semaglutide is $1,024. With coupons and savings, the average cost of the medication can be as low as $900 or less on some occasions.
The lowest minimum price of Semaglutide is $890. With free coupons and other saving options, you can save up to $150/per month or $450/3 months.
However, the coupons and savings do not require insurance for the medication. But if things go well, you may need only a little to pay for your medication with insurance.
How does the medication work?
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist that is used to treat type-2 diabetes in the first place. Glucagon-like-Peptide-1(GLP-1) is a hormone that also participates in indigestion.
Thus, the medication of Semaglutide works in multiple ways to ensure the health condition is good.
This Glucagon Peptide hormone triggers your insulin once injected into your body. Insulin lowers your blood sugar and blocks sources that produce sugar.
Hence, it is a proper effective medication for diabetes. Type-2 diabetes patients have been relying on Semaglutide for a long time.
Now, talking about the weight loss aspect, a survey showed that people under medication with Semaglutide lose weight noticeably.
After several tests with a higher dose of the drug, it was proven that Semaglutide effectively works against higher body fatigue and body weight.
What's the monthly expenditure for the medication?
The monthly average cost of a Semaglutide pen is around $1,000. Though insurers refuse to pay for weight-loss drugs, they do provide insurance with diabetic medication.
Ozempic 2 and 4 mg pen is priced at around $195 and the daily drug cost is between $6.5 to $7. The annual cost of the drug is $2,544 according to the national library of medicine.
Weekly doses are provided in the pen by the company. There is a 1 mg Semaglutide pen is available at this moment.
Is there any insurance applicable?
Medicare covers 91% of the whole medication cost for this drug and they also will provide the insurance.
Somewhere the medication for weight loss is not insured but In this case, the diabetes drugs are well-insured with several options.
With insurance, you may be able to pay not more than only $25 of your whole medication cost of the month. This means that almost all the cost of your medication will be carried by your insurance policy.
With the Medicare prescription, the cost is insured with 4 stages, the deductible, post deductible, donut hole, and the post donut hole. This will save you money up to 70% of your whole medication bill.
For the first stage, deductible, your paying range would be from $42-$1,026. The post deductible stage will cut in between $20 and $1,026.
Next, the donut hole gets paid for $35-$1,026 and finally, the post donut hole makes the big deal of payment that can be as low as $7 to $1,026.
The cost is high without insurance
Without insurance, the cost is the retailer's only price, and this is included the vat and other related costs.
You may need to pay more than $2,500 per year on the medication bill. But the insurance can save all the money you are about to pay extra.
The retail price of Semaglutide is the original price that will cost you without insurance. Semaglutide is available with cash service and without insurance if you select the medication as a san weight-loss option.
1.5 milliliters of supply will cost you around $950. Of course, the price will vary with the availability of the drug.
Semaglutide VS Dulaglutide VS Liraglutide
Other drug options for patients with higher blood sugar disease are Dulaglutide and Liraglutide. These are commonly taken as an alternative to Semaglutide.
These other two drugs are cheaper than Semaglutide. Though Semaglutide is known as the best in its category, Dulaglutide and Liraglutide are also taken promptly.
To compare them we have included the price below in the box.
Price tags | Semaglutide | Dulaglutide | Liraglutide |
Average daily cost | $7 | $6 | $4.5 to $6.8 |
Average annual drug cost | $2,550 | $2,190 | $1,660 to $2,500 |
Dosage and Administration
Since the drug is administered to type-2 diabetes patients it has a regulation of dosage and administration. Your doctor/consultant should prescribe the drug in the right dosage.
The pen comes in the exact amount of drugs for shots. Once the shot is over you need to discard the pen.
Again, your doctor will increase the dosage every 4 weeks. The medication is about to run with the dosage given below,
- 0.25 mg for the first month (once weekly)
- 0.5 mg for the second month (once weekly)
- 1 mg for the third month (once weekly)
- 1.7 mg for the fourth month (once weekly)
- 2.4 mg till the target is maintained (once weekly)
The body fat loss and the control over diabetes will be countered while deducting the drug dosage for the rest of the time.
What about the market price?
Ozempic is priced at $1,349 in the retailer shops. But you can get the drug from some pharmacies as low as $890 with coupons. Here we are giving you the price from some medicare shops. The average price of Semaglutide is $955 in the market.
Seller | Price |
Rite AID | $921 |
Costco | $898 |
Walgreens | $928 |
Kroger Pharmacy | $1,037 (retail price) |
Walmart | $928 |
CVS Pharmacy | $922 |
Safeway | $893 |
The prices here are taken from GoodRx and have been the latest on the list. Prices may vary due to the availability of the drug and production. Lack of coupons and insurance may require more costs eventually.
Any potential side effects?
This medication can cause some gastrointestinal diseases, like vomiting, nausea, headache, dizziness, etc.
Since the medication is to take in a suitable dose, mostly once a week, the chances are slight to face the side effects of the drug.
Yet, some common side effects may encounter. These can be,
- Constipation
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Fatigue
- Burping etc.
No major carry-over has been reported after taking the Semaglutide medication in people with diabetes only.
Occasionally may occur, the primary potential side effects with no higher detriments. Howsoever, facing any health difficulties with the dosage of Semaglutide requires a doctor’s counsel to take it further or not.
If other serious side effects like pancreatitis, fast heart rate, kidney damage, etc. (that is rarely reported normally) happen, stop the medication immediately and go under physician’s consultation.
Where to buy it?
Ozempic, the brand name of Semaglutide can be purchased from the official site of the manufacturer(online).
The drug is available in pharmacies and medicine shops. You may need to pay the retail price and may not receive insurance buying it from a physical shop.
Whatever, Semaglutide can be found in a specific amount of pen size. Each stating with the weekly injectable dose is also available as pills. Injections are available as 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg options.
Any retailer shop or medicine corner will help you by providing the drug according to your prescription or health care consultant.
You know everything now....
Semaglutide is known and prescribed for the treatment of patients with type -2 diabetes. It is also seen to work against fat and boy weight.
Though the medication is not given for weight loss exercises clinically, it showed an effective result over the weight-loss competition.
The overall price for Semaglutide medication is considered reasonable comparing other available peptide-1 agonists.
Again with insurance, a type-2 diabetes patient can get all the benefits of getting insured for both the diabetes medication and the weight loss diet exercise.
