{"id":1006855,"date":"2026-06-05T10:41:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:41:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1006855\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T10:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:41:17","slug":"generic-semaglutide-is-now-available-in-canada-where-is-the-medication-available-and-is-it-actually-cheaper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1006855\/","title":{"rendered":"Generic semaglutide is now available in Canada. Where is the medication available and is it actually cheaper?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Generic semaglutide hit pharmacy shelves in Canada in May.JOEL SAGET\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Canada became the first major market in the world where generic forms of semaglutide became legal. The competition was on: Manufacturers raced to secure Health Canada approval so they could begin making generic versions of the drug, driving down the cost and disrupting the stronghold name brands like Wegovy and Ozempic have on the diabetes and weight-loss market.<\/p>\n

Generic semaglutide officially hit pharmacy shelves in May. But where can Canadians buy it, is it actually more cost-effective and how widely available is it? Here\u2019s everything you need to know.<\/p>\n

When did generic Ozempic land in Canada?<\/p>\n

Generic semaglutide became legal in Canada as of Jan. 5, but it only began arriving in pharmacies across Canada<\/a> the week of May 18. Toronto-based pharmaceutical company Apotex Inc. said it started shipping the drug to Canadian pharmacies on May 19. Dr. Reddy\u2019s Laboratories Ltd., headquartered in India, said its generic semaglutide arrived in select Canadian pharmacies on May 20 and will be more broadly available in the coming days.<\/p>\n

Which pharmacies in Canada offer generic Ozempic? <\/p>\n

Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall said they have started to receive generic semaglutide<\/a> at some of their locations. Digital health care platforms and medication suppliers, including Felix, also offer the generic drug. The medication is offered as a pen that contains four weekly injections.<\/p>\n

How much cheaper is generic semaglutide in Canada compared to name brands such as Ozempic?<\/p>\n

Apotex\u2019s generic version of the drug is currently priced at $78.14 for a four-week supply, which is less than a third of the wholesale price of Ozempic (priced at $240.48 for a four-week supply). Both prices are before pharmacy markups and fees, and final costs will differ according to pharmacy and insurance coverage.<\/p>\n

Online telehealth company Felix is offering generic semaglutide at $149 per month. <\/p>\n

How will cheaper versions of Ozempic tip the scales?<\/a><\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Apotex workers are shown in Toronto in April, 2021. Apotex sells a four-week supply of the generic version of semaglutide for $78.14.Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Generic drug prices in Canada are set out in an agreement between a national body called the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance<\/a> (pCPA) and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association<\/a>, an industry group. The agreement indicates generic semaglutide should cost 50 per cent of the brand-name price when two manufacturers are making the drug. When three or more products are available, it should drop to 35 per cent, though manufacturers can offer lower prices if desired.<\/p>\n

Novo Nordisk (the Danish pharmaceutical company that manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy) recently announced that it would begin offering discount cards on the Ozempic website for Canadians who don\u2019t have public or private insurance coverage so they could pay generic prices. <\/p>\n

Is generic Ozempic covered by insurance providers?<\/p>\n

Patients whose Ozempic is covered by insurance may be prompted in the coming weeks to switch to a generic version, or may only have the generic price reimbursed. Genevieve Gagnon, a spokesperson for the pCPA, said they expect public health plans to sign listing deals with generic manufacturers in June. (Public drug plans in every province and territory already cover brand-name Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Spokespeople for private insurers Manulife and Sun Life said provinces will have to officially rule on the interchangeability of generic semaglutide for brand-name Ozempic first, and then patients will begin to be switched over to generics or only have the generic price reimbursed. <\/p>\n

Private insurance companies and plan sponsors \u2013 companies that provide prescription drug coverage to their workers \u2013 spent more on drugs and devices for diabetes than for any other category of illness in 2025, according to a recent Telus Health report<\/a>. Brand-name Ozempic accounted for nearly 40 per cent of that spending.<\/p>\n

Do you need a prescription for generic semaglutide? How do you get one?<\/p>\n

Both Ozempic and generic semaglutide require a prescription and are approved by Health Canada for diabetes management, with some doctors prescribing it off-label for weight loss. To get a prescription, make an appointment with your medical practitioner to discuss eligibility and treatment options. <\/p>\n

If you have an existing prescription for brand-name Ozempic and you want to switch to the generic version of the drug, you may require an updated script from your doctor. Although Health Canada recognizes generic and brand-name versions of semaglutide<\/a> as \u201cpharmaceutically equivalent,\u201d interchangeability is best determined by a medical professional.<\/p>\n

In Canada, prescription drugs include both active and inactive ingredients, and while a name-brand drug\u2019s active ingredients may be the same as a generic\u2019s, inactive ingredients (also called excipients) may differ. This is especially important to consider for those with allergies or intolerances to ingredients such as lactose or gluten. Plus, each territory and province has its own rules and regulations surrounding drug interchangeability<\/a>. <\/p>\n

How many providers are making generic semaglutide right now?<\/p>\n

Currently, only two manufacturers are making generic semaglutide available for purchase in Canada.<\/p>\n

In April, Dr. Reddy\u2019s Laboratories Ltd. became the first drug maker approved by Health Canada to sell a generic version of Ozempic. A second manufacturer, Apotex Inc. (Canada\u2019s largest drug maker) earned Health Canada approval<\/a> to sell generic semaglutide in early May. <\/p>\n

Four additional manufacturers<\/a> (Sandoz Canada Inc., Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc., Aspen Pharmacare Canada Inc. and Teva Canada Ltd.) are still being reviewed by Health Canada for approval to begin making generic semaglutide. Vimy Pharma, a new Toronto-based drug company, recently told The Globe and Mail they have also filed an application<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Last year, Novo Nordisk got approval from Health Canada<\/a> to market semaglutide under the additional names Plosbrio and Poviztra, which the company said it may use to compete with the cheaper generics.<\/p>\n

With reports from Chris Hannay, Kelly Grant, Alanna Smith and The Canadian Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Generic semaglutide hit pharmacy shelves in Canada in May.JOEL SAGET\/AFP\/Getty Images Earlier this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1006856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4315],"tags":[279043,45087,8047,105,4326,16,15],"class_list":["post-1006855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-aud-explainer","tag-aud-growth","tag-aud-url","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116697083649975096","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1006855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1006855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1006856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1006855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1006855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1006855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}