Medication update: Ozempic
Medication Update
Ozempic® supply shortage resolved
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recently removed Ozempic® (semaglutide) from its medicines shortage list. Ozempic® is used by many people with type 2 diabetes as a glucose lowering medication.
Your regular pharmacy should be able to fill your prescription for Ozempic now that Australian supply is returning to normal. However, it can take time for some pharmacies to restore their stock levels after a lengthy shortage.
If your pharmacy does not have the Ozempic you need, you can ask them to contact their wholesaler or Novo Nordisk to find out when more stock will be available.
More information from the TGA can be found here.
Changes to Ozempic injection pens.
If you’ve recently picked up a new Ozempic script from your pharmacy, you may have noticed a change in how the pen looks.
Starting from 1 June 2025 Ozempic® dual dose (0.25/0.5 mg) is transitioning from the 1.5 mL to the 3 mL FlexTouch® pen.
Both pre-filled pens presentations deliver the same semaglutide dosage(s) (either 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg per dose). However, the new 3 mL presentation is a larger pen and injects a slightly larger volume per dose. The 1.5ml pen will be discontinued in December 2025.
There will be no change to how you use the pen though, so keep taking your Ozempic as prescribed by your healthcare professional. If you are unsure, you can also check with your pharmacist.
Counterfeit Ozempic pens
There have been ongoing reports of counterfeit Ozempic pens being stopped at the Australian border.
Remember to always purchase your Ozempic medication (and all other medications) from an Australian pharmacy, as products purchased from overseas websites or unauthorised sources, may be counterfeit products.
These counterfeit products may not contain the correct medication or may have unwanted and potentially harmful additives in them, placing your health at risk.
More information can be found on the TGA website
https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-alerts/counterfeit-ozempic-injection-pens-detected
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has some further resources to help you learn how to identify counterfeit medications.
How to spot counterfeit medication https://www.tga.gov.au/news/blog/how-spot-counterfeit-medicine
Renae Roll
Registered nurse (RN) and credentialled diabetes educator (CDE) at Diabetes Victoria
I have worked at Diabetes Victoria for 16 years as a Diabetes Nurse Educator. Prior to my role as a Diabetes Nurse Educator, I was an emergency nurse at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne.
I am a parent to two children aged 12 and 15 years. In my spare time I like to exercise, cook, read and catch up with friends.
