Ozempic in Australia: what it is approved for and what that means.

Ozempic is a prescription medicine containing semaglutide, injected once a week. Semaglutide copies the gut hormone GLP-1, which helps the body release insulin when blood sugar rises, slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite. In Australia Ozempic is a type 2 diabetes medicine.

The Consumer Medicine Information says Ozempic is used in adults with type 2 diabetes to lower blood sugar and, if they also have chronic kidney disease, to reduce the risk of the kidney disease getting worse. It has not been studied in children and should not be used under 18.

No. Ozempic is approved only for type 2 diabetes. The TGA has said it “is only approved by the TGA for lowering blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes” and cannot be advertised for any other condition. Weight loss appears in the CMI as a side effect, not as a use.

A doctor may still prescribe a medicine off-label when they judge it clinically appropriate, with informed consent. Off-label prescribing is not banned, and Ahpra reminded practitioners of their obligations in September 2026. Any such prescription is private, not PBS-subsidised.

The semaglutide brand that is approved for weight management is Wegovy, at higher doses. Wegovy in Australia · Ozempic vs Wegovy.

Yes, for type 2 diabetes only. The first PBS prescription needs an authority approval by phone or online, and later prescriptions use a streamlined authority. People must meet clinical criteria set in the PBS Schedule; it is not subsidised for weight loss.

For the first PBS prescription, the PBS Schedule requires that:

• Ozempic is used with at least one of metformin, a sulfonylurea or insulin;
• diabetes has not been well controlled on those medicines, defined as HbA1c above 7%;
• the person has not had a meaningful response to an SGLT2 inhibitor, or could not take one; and
• it is not combined on the PBS with an SGLT2 inhibitor, a DPP-4 inhibitor or another GLP-1 medicine.

Both medical practitioners and nurse practitioners can write PBS prescriptions for Ozempic. Patients pay the standard PBS co-payment.

Source: PBS Schedule, semaglutide, retrieved 9 Nov 2026. These are summary criteria; the prescriber applies the full wording.

No active shortage was listed on 9 November 2026. The TGA removed Ozempic from its shortage list from 18 July 2025. The only current semaglutide entry is the planned discontinuation of the old 1.5 mL 0.25/0.5 mg pen, replaced by a 3 mL pen that is interchangeable on the PBS.

During the earlier shortage, the TGA advised prescribers in September 2023 not to start new patients without a compelling reason. That advice was tied to the shortage and is now historical.

Ozempic starts at 0.25 mg once a week for four weeks, then 0.5 mg weekly. The doctor may increase it to 1 mg, then 2 mg weekly if blood sugar is not well enough controlled. Four pens are registered in Australia, although not all pack sizes may be available.

Source: Ozempic CMI, Aug 2026.

Ozempic was tested in people with type 2 diabetes, not in weight-management trials. In those trials, average weight change was modest: about 4 to 7 kg over 30 to 104 weeks, depending on dose and trial. These results are for people with diabetes and do not predict anyone’s result.

Source: Ozempic Australian PI, revised 25 Sep 2026 (intention-to-treat populations). Weight-management trials used Wegovy doses; see Wegovy in Australia.

The CMI says the most common side effects are diarrhoea and nausea, which are usually mild and normally decrease with continued use. In pooled trials, nausea affected 17.0% of people on 0.5 mg and 19.9% on 1 mg; 6.1% and 8.7% stopped because of side effects, versus 1.5% on placebo.

Other less serious effects listed include reduced appetite, headache, vomiting, indigestion, constipation, wind, tiredness, dizziness, altered taste, injection-site reactions, gallstones and hair loss.

The CMI says to call your doctor straight away or go to the Emergency Department for possible pancreatitis (severe, lasting stomach pain), a severe allergic reaction, signs of kidney injury, a bowel blockage or sudden changes to eyesight. Ozempic side effects in full · what “Ozempic face” means.

Ozempic is TGA-registered, which means it was assessed for quality, safety and effectiveness for type 2 diabetes. It still has side effects and precautions, and the prescriber checks whether it suits you. The biggest avoidable risk is a fake pen bought outside a pharmacy.

The CMI asks you to tell your doctor if you drink alcohol, as alcohol can mask or worsen low blood sugar, especially with insulin or a sulfonylurea. Tell your anaesthetist before surgery or deep sedation.

The TGA has found counterfeit “Ozempic” pens: in September 2024, fake pens contained insulin and one person had a life-threatening reaction; in April 2025, fake pens with batch number MPSD916 were stopped at the border. How to spot an illegal or fake seller.

Ozempic vs Wegovy · Mounjaro vs Ozempic · Weight loss injections in Australia.

With diabetes, food choices are best planned with your GP, diabetes educator or an Accredited Practising Dietitian. Smaller, regular meals with protein, fibre and plenty of fluids are a common starting point, especially while nausea settles.

Read what to eat on Ozempic, the semaglutide food guide and foods for nausea.