Ozempic reduces the risk of major cardiovascular problems such as heart attack, stroke and even death in adults known to have heart disease.

Ozempic acts in a similar way to a hormone that already occurs in our bodies and helps to regulate our blood sugar, insulin levels and our digestion.

Ozempic is a pre-filled, disposable, single-patient-use injection pen which is taken once a week. It's usually administered to patients after an unsuccessful course of other diabetes medicine.

Ozempic is not suitable for adults with Type 1 Diabetes. It is still unknown whether or not it is suitable for children under the age of 18.

Side effects

As with any medication Ozempic can cause side effects in some people – although not everybody will experience these.

Before you take Ozempic it is important to familiarise yourself with the patient information leaflet enclosed with your treatment.

If you have any concerns or queries you can contact one of our experienced pharmacists.

• Inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Ozempic and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back.
• Changes in vision. Tell your doctor if you have changes in vision during treatment with Ozempic.
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use Ozempic with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include:
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Blurred vision
• Anxiety, irritability, or mood changes
• Sweating
• Slurred speech
• Hunger
• Confusion or drowsiness
• Shakiness
• Weakness
• Headache
• Fast heartbeat
• Feeling jittery
• Kidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration) which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration.
• Serious allergic reactions. Stop using Ozempic and get medical help right away, if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including:
• Swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat
• Problems breathing or swallowing
• Severe rash or itching
• Fainting or feeling dizzy
• Very rapid heartbeat

The most common side effects of Ozempic may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach (abdominal) pain and constipation.

Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Ozempic.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. 

Cautions & Warnings

You should not use Ozempic if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (tumours in your glands), a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, insulin-dependent diabetes, or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Call your doctor at once if you have signs of a thyroid tumour, such as swelling or a lump in your neck, trouble swallowing, a hoarse voice, or shortness of breath.

Before taking this medicine, you should not use Ozempic if you are allergic to Semaglutide, or if you have:

• multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (tumours in your glands);
• a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (a type of thyroid cancer); or
• diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment).

 To make sure Ozempic is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• a stomach or intestinal disorder;
• pancreatitis;
• kidney disease; or
• eye problems caused by diabetes (retinopathy).

 In animal studies, Semaglutide caused thyroid tumours or thyroid cancer. It is not known whether these effects would occur in people. Ask your doctor about your risk.

Any patients of a childbearing age should be using contraception to minimise the possibility of a pregnancy whilst taking Ozempic.

Stop using this medicine at least 2 months before you plan to get pregnant. Ask your doctor for a safer medicine to use during this time. Controlling diabetes is very important during pregnancy, as is gaining the right amount of weight. Even if you are overweight, losing weight during pregnancy could harm the unborn baby.

It is not known if Semaglutide passes into your breast milk. You should talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while using Ozempic.

Ozempic is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.

Do not use Ozempic 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.

Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction include:

• Swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat
• Problems breathing or swallowing
• Severe rash or itching
• Fainting or feeling dizzy
• Very rapid heartbeat