About this page
This page is general consumer health information for Australians who have come across Ozempic in news coverage and want to understand its regulatory status. It is not medical advice, not an advertisement, not a referral and not a recommendation to use any medicine. We do not supply, prescribe or refer for any prescription medicine.
If you are considering weight-management options, the appropriate next step is a conversation with your GP. They will assess your circumstances, discuss the full range of options (including non-pharmacological approaches), and recommend a pathway, if any, that suits your clinical picture.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist manufactured by Novo Nordisk. In Australia it is TGA-approved for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The TGA Product Information lists the approved indications, contraindications and warnings; your prescriber and pharmacist will work from this when prescribing or dispensing.
For the TGA-approved Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) for Ozempic, search the brand name at tga.gov.au.
Why does Ozempic come up in weight-loss conversations?
Semaglutide has been studied for weight management. The TGA-approved semaglutide product specifically for chronic weight management in Australia is Wegovy, which uses the same active ingredient at a different maximum dose. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a related but distinct GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist with its own TGA-approved indications.
Whether any of these medicines is appropriate for a specific patient — and which one — is a clinical decision made by an AHPRA-registered prescriber, based on the TGA Product Information, the patient's clinical picture, current TGA guidance about on-label and off-label use, and the prescriber's professional judgement.
PBS eligibility and cost
Ozempic is listed on the PBS for type 2 diabetes (with PBS Authority criteria). It is not PBS-subsidised for weight management. Where a prescriber writes a private (non-PBS) prescription, the patient pays the retail price set by the dispensing pharmacy.
Pricing varies between pharmacies. Consult your pharmacy directly for a current quote before filling a prescription. We do not publish per-pharmacy pricing because it changes frequently and varies by location.
Questions to discuss with your GP
- What weight-management options would you consider appropriate for my circumstances?
- What baseline tests should I have, and what would they show?
- Are there contraindications in my history that you would want to rule out?
- If we discuss a medication option, which TGA-approved product and dose is most appropriate, and why?
- What would the monitoring plan look like (frequency of review, what we'd track)?
- What does the evidence say about long-term outcomes and stopping the medicine?
What this page is not
- Not medical advice. See your GP.
- Not an advertisement for any prescription medicine or prescriber service.
- Not a recommendation to take Ozempic or any other prescription medicine.
- Not a comparison of effectiveness. Therapeutic claims about prescription medicines for consumers are restricted under the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code.
- Not a pathway to obtain any prescription medicine. We do not supply, prescribe or refer.
Find an AHPRA-registered GP near you
If you don't have a regular GP, use the healthdirect Service Finder (an Australian Government service) to find a GP in your area. You can also confirm any practitioner's current registration at the AHPRA practitioner register.