Based on coverage from CHEK News, CKOM, and CHAT News Today.
Anne Welch, a 77-year-old retiree in Paris, Ont., thought she’d found a practical medical answer to a problem a lot of older Canadians will recognize: weight gain that sneaks up after retirement, especially when your day-to-day life suddenly involves less lifting, walking, and running around.
Welch used to do physically demanding work at her local SPCA. After she retired at 71, and with an underactive thyroid, she says “the weight just started piling on.” She’s tried cutting sweets and eating salads, but says the cravings can hit hard, and the emotional toll has been real. She believes losing weight would help with back pain and other health issues, so she asked her doctor about Ozempic.
Her doctor was willing to prescribe it. Paying for it is the problem.
Ontario seniors drug coverage and Ozempic
Because Welch does not have diabetes, she does not qualify for public coverage through the Ontario Drug Benefit program, which funds medications for seniors 65 and older. Ozempic is approved by Health Canada for diabetes, and public drug plans generally stick to that, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
That leaves Welch, who lives on Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security income, looking at a bill that can run a few hundred dollars a month out of pocket. She says she might be able to manage something under $150 monthly, but even that would mean “cut corners” elsewhere.
The frustration is sharpened by what she’s seen at home: her husband, Steve, has diabetes, so his Ozempic is covered. Welch says he’s lost 30 to 40 pounds and kept it off.
Generic semaglutide could lower prices
Welch is now pinning some hopes on generic semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic. Health Canada is currently reviewing nine generic semaglutide drugs, according to the report.
Mina Tadrous, a University of Toronto pharmaceutical policy expert, said generic pricing depends on how many products actually reach the market. Under the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance’s structure, the first generic typically lands at about 75 to 85 per cent of the brand price. With a second generic, prices can drop to 50 per cent. With three or more, the cost could fall to about 35 per cent of brand-name Ozempic.
That sounds like a big drop, but for patients paying out of pocket, the key question is whether “cheaper” becomes “affordable.”
Health Canada review timeline and safety questions
Canada looked set to be the first country to authorize generic semaglutide once Novo Nordisk’s patent protection ran out and it became legal to produce generics in January. But India moved first: its drug agency approved two generic versions in March, around the time the patent expired there.
One of those, made by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, was submitted to Health Canada for review in early 2024. The company says it’s waiting for Canadian approval before launching here.
Health Canada spokesperson Marie-Pier Burelle said the agency is on track to meet review targets for generic semaglutide submissions, with an “initial review” timeline of about six months. She added a major caveat: that clock does not include time for companies to respond to Health Canada requests for more data.
Burelle also pointed to the complexity. Ozempic is a biologic, made using biological processes. Generic semaglutide products are described as complex synthetic products that must be shown to be pharmaceutically equivalent, without differences that could affect safety, efficacy, or quality.
Who’s stuck paying out of pocket
The affordability crunch is not limited to people seeking GLP-1 drugs for obesity treatment. Brenda Rogers, a 53-year-old online business manager in Vancouver with diabetes, is rationing her remaining doses of Mounjaro (a rival GLP-1 drug made by Eli Lilly) after losing her job in December and, with it, her drug benefits.
Rogers said lowering her dose is making her hungrier, but she’s trying to stretch what she has. She described Ozempic and Mounjaro as “life-changing” alongside diet and exercise changes, helping her sleep, eat, move, and think better. Like Welch, she’s hoping a generic semaglutide will be priced low enough to buy herself.
CIHI data shows why governments are paying close attention: Ozempic has become the single biggest driver of rising public prescription drug spending, accounting for $807 million of the $20.1 billion spent across Canada’s public drug systems.
For patients like Welch and Rogers, the next practical milestone is simple: the first generic approval, followed by what the real pharmacy price tag looks like once products actually hit shelves.
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