Limited Ozempic supplies to commence distribution in Australia

Updated information on the Ozempic shortage.

Limited supplies of Ozempic (semaglutide) — indicated for certain patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus — have now commenced distribution in Australia. 

Supply is expected to improve over the next few weeks, although will remain limited for some time. The arrival time of stock at individual pharmacies will vary as stock is dispatched from Novo Nordisk to pharmaceutical wholesalers around Australia.

Initial supplies of Ozempic will not be enough to meet demand from all patients with current valid prescriptions for type 2 diabetes nor for those taking it off-label for other conditions.

The TGA recommends health professionals allocate supplies to patient using Ozempic for registered indications, particularly those who have not been switched by their doctor to other glucose-lowering medicines. The TGA will continue to monitor supply and update advice as the situation changes.

While Ozempic has also been used off-label to treat other health conditions such as obesity, doctors are strongly encouraged to consider alternatives to semaglutide for weight management because supply will remain unstable for some time.

The AMA has been meeting regularly with the TGA, health professionals, pharmaceutical wholesalers, patient groups and Novo Nordisk to manage the shortage and help patients as much as possible.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has published a statement with updated guidelines for prescribers with patients affected by the shortage.

The RACGP statement says patients may need to restart treatment with a prescription for semaglutide 0.25/0.5 mg 1.34 mg/mL pre-filled pen to minimise risk of gastrointestinal side effects. Where feasible, prescribers are encouraged to liaise with community pharmacies to obtain updates on stock availability to help inform their prescribing decisions.

The TGA’s Ozempic shortage webpage also contains information for patients and pharmacist