I am prescribed Ozempic as part of my Type 2 diabetes care, but I'm here on an extended visa and don't have health benefits while in Australia so I pay full price. In the US I don't pay anything for the Ozempic, but from what I've read here I'll have to pay about $850 possibly more. Is anyone familiar with this type of situation and, if so, where would the Ozempic be the least expensive.
Which Pharmacy Would Have Full Price Ozempic (Semaglutide) at The Cheapest Price?
LAndiP1954 on 21/03/2021 - 16:08
Comments
Yes true lol, but I won't be back there for some time. I thought about having it mailed, but because it has to be refrigerated and the customs situation I guess I can not.
As a private script, each chemist can set their own price. You're going to have to ring around and see which chemist gives you the cheapest price (hint: start witht he big discount chemists)
Thanks for the info. I am assuming the big discount chemists are Chemist Warehouse, My Chemist and Priceline?
You can ask https://www.diabetesvic.org.au or see if https://www.novonordisk.com.au/ offer a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) in Australia.
Thanks holdenmg that is very helpful. I went to the Novo Nordisk page and did not see a mention of a PAP, but I used their contact form to ask. I will also do that for the diabetes organization shortly.
Although I pay concession price, the label on my box shows full price as $131.83. This is from Chemist Warehouse.
This is for 1.34 mg/ml pen for 4 weeks.
+1 to asking about it at Chemist Warehouse.
They will have the cheapest possible price at which you can get the item, and sometimes the difference between their price and the price at another pharmacy can be absolutely massive.
The private price to the consumer could even be less than that since the full cost is the maximum allowable price which is claimed by the pharmacy from PBS.
Thanks, because you mentioned that, I called Chemist Warehouse and the pharmacist assured me the $131.83 is the correct price for mine which is the lesser mg/ml and that all Ozempic cost the same. I am relieved because one government website implied it would be $1700 and another gave $850 as the price and that latter price is in keeping with the US because once I forgot to give the US pharmacy my insurance card and the technician said "$847.50 please".
A while back, I was told that it wasn't even available. Not because it wasn't approved, but because it's not on PBS, and that it costs quite a bit, it wasn't being stocked.
I guess my information is outdated.
Pharmacies usually don't stock medications that are expensive, and that none of their customers are on it.
If you walk in with something they don't stock, they can usually order it in within the next business day (unless you're out in the middle of nowhere). Otherwise, try other pharmacies, you might get lucky and find one that has a regular on that same medication.
And if you're going to be regularly on that medication, and happy to get it from the same pharmacy, let them know. They might take the risk and keep it in stock for you, or if enough people are on it they will start keeping it in stock.
Thanks for the info. I won't need it for Semaglutide though, as it appears I'm one of the few where it wasn't as effective. At the time, I was getting it free of charge, probably under the patient assistance program?
But will certainly keep this info in mind the next time I run across a similar situation.
Hi teddybabes, do you mind sharing how long you were on the Semaglutide and what you were prescribed instead when it was deemed ineffective for you?
I was on Byetta for about 5 years and it did wonders, but I was always apprehensive about it because it's derived from Gila Monster venom. I live part of the year in Arizona and am familiar with the danger from Gilas. Not only that it always made me feel nauseous. Right before I left to come here over a year ago, a new endocrinologist suggested I go on Semaglutide which she said is a new drug with less side effects. I was only on it a few months with what I brought along. Now I am starting afresh.
@AndiP1954: Semaglutide was going to be my last hail Mary before starting on insulin. To be fair, GLP-1s are certainly an exciting and effective newish class of drugs that have demonstrably good effects on glucose control and also delaying treatment failure of oral hypoglycaemics.
Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for me as I had trialled Semaglutide for 7 months with no improvement in glucose control.
So now am on intermediate and short acting insulin analogues, an SGLT2, a biguanide, and a sulfonylurea. C'est la Vie
Good luck on your journey, mate.
Good suggestions CMH and yes you are correct because enough people are on it the CW pharmacist said they keep it in stock.
When I spoke to the pharmacist at Chemist Warehouse she stated at one time it wasn't regularly stocked, but because they found that many patients are prescribed it now, that the Ozempic is kept on hand in their fridge.
Thanks everyone, I'm checking into all your suggestions now and will let you know.
in the US!