Ozempic: Usage and side effects
Ozempic is a drug primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Add Sam’s Club to the list of retail pharmacy options for consumers looking to purchase expensive weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegoby.
Sam’s Club pharmacies currently sell Novo Nordisk’s Wigoby and Ozempic for $499 a month. Costco sells blockbuster prescription weight loss drugs at the same discounted prices.
Novo Nordisk is expanding its discounted retail options for consumers who want to buy medicines directly. The Danish drugmaker previously announced that prescription drug discount website GoodRx would sell Ozempic and Wegovy for $499 per month. Consumers can also purchase Wegovy prescribed through the company’s NovoCare Pharmacy for $499 per month.
The drugmaker is looking to expand purchasing options for Ozempic and Wigovy, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs that suppress users’ appetite and lead to weight loss. Novo Nordisk faces competition from telemedicine companies that sell Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Maunjaro, as well as combination versions of Ozempic and Wigovy, despite Food and Drug Administration regulations against counterfeit drugs.
How do I purchase Ozempic and Wegovy at Sam’s Club?
Sam’s Club members can purchase prescription Wegovy and Ozempic for $499 per month using their Novo Nordisk co-pay card. The retailer can also deliver refrigerated injections to your home. Sam’s Club Plus members will receive free same-day delivery on club orders placed by 2 p.m., while non-members will pay $12 for same-day delivery, the retailer said.
Sam’s Club said its approximately 570 pharmacies in the U.S. also sell temperature-controlled medications such as insulin, antibiotics and other specialty prescriptions.
Warehouse Retailer has two membership levels. Club membership is $50 per year and Plus membership is $110 per year.
We have insurance. What are my options?
Wegovy is prescribed for adults who are trying to lose weight, are obese, or have heart disease. Ozempic is prescribed for type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that insurance companies are more likely to cover GLP-1 drugs if prescribed for diabetes or heart disease. Mercer, a benefits consultant, said 44% of all large employers will have GLP-1 drug coverage for obesity in 2024, up from 41% in 2023.
The list price for Wegoby is $1,349 for a one-month dose, but Novo Nordisk says most customers are paying much less than that. Novo Nordisk says about 9 out of 10 consumers with insurance plans that cover Ozempic pay less than $25 a month. Customers who pay for the drug out-of-pocket can purchase it for $499 at Costco, Sam’s Club, GoodR.X. and the drugmaker’s Novocare pharmacies.
