Label: information for the patient
Ozempic 1mg injectable solution in a pre-filled pen
semaglutide
Read this label carefully before starting to use this medication, as it contains important information for you.
1.What Ozempic is and for what it is used
2.What you need to know before starting to use Ozempic
3.How to use Ozempic
4.Possible adverse effects
5.Storage of Ozempic
6.Contents of the package and additional information
Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide. It helps your body reduce blood sugar levels only when these levels are too high and may help prevent heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (DMT2). It also helps slow down kidney function deterioration in patients with DMT2 through a mechanism separate from blood sugar reduction..
Ozempic is usedto treat adults (18 years of age and older) with DMT2 when diet and exercise are not enough:
It is essential that you continue with the diet and exercise plan that your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse has recommended.
Do not use Ozempic
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before starting to use this medication.
This medication is notthe same asinsulin and should not be used if:
Ozempic is not insulin and should not be used as a substitute for insulin.
If you know you will undergo surgery under anesthesia (a state of sleep), inform your doctor that you are taking Ozempic.
Gastrointestinal effects
During treatment with this medication, you may experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These adverse effects may cause dehydration (loss of fluids). It is essential to drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. This is especially important if you have kidney problems. If you have any doubts, consult your doctor.
Severe and persistent stomach pain that may be due to acute pancreatitis
If you have severe and persistent stomach pain, seek medical attention immediately, as it may be a symptom of acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).Consult section4 to know the warning signs of pancreatitis.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
The combination of a sulfonylurea or insulin with this medication may increase the risk of experiencing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Consult section4 to know the warning signs of low blood sugar. Your doctor may ask you to measure your blood sugar levels. This will help your doctor decide if you need to change the dose of sulfonylurea or insulin to reduce the risk of low blood sugar.
Diabetic retinopathy
If you have diabetic retinopathy and are using insulin, this medication may worsen your vision, and you may need treatment. Inform your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or experience eye problems during treatment with this medication. If you have potentially unstable diabetic retinopathy, the use of Ozempic 2 mg is not recommended.
Children and adolescents
This medication is not recommended for children and adolescents under 18years of age, as the safety and efficacy have not yet been established in these age groups.
Other medications and Ozempic
Inform your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse if you are taking, have taken recently, or may need to take any other medication, including herbal medications or other medications obtained without a prescription.
Particularly, inform your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse if you are using medications that contain any of the following components:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or think you may be pregnant, consult your doctor before using this medication.
This medication should not be used during pregnancy, as it is unknown whether it affects the fetus. Therefore, the use of contraceptive methodsis recommendedduring the use of this medication. If you want to become pregnant,consult with your doctor how to change your treatment, asyou should discontinue the use of this medication at least 2 months in advance. If you become pregnant while using this medication, consult your doctor immediately, as you will need to change your treatment.
Do not use this medication during breastfeeding, as it is unknown whether it passes into breast milk.
Driving and operating machinery
Ozempic is unlikely to affect your ability to drive and operate machinery.However, if you use this medication in combination with a sulfonylurea or insulin, you may experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which may reduce your ability to concentrate. Do not drive or operate machinery if you experience any symptoms of low blood sugar. Consult section2, “Warnings and precautions” for information on the increased risk of experiencing low blood sugar and section4 to know the warning signs of low blood sugar. Consult your doctor for more information.
Sodium content
This medication contains less than 1mmol of sodium (23mg) per dose; it is essentially “sodium-free”.
Follow exactly the administration instructions of this medication indicated by your doctor. In case of doubt, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse again.
How much to use
Do not change your dose unless your doctor tells you to.
How to administer Ozempic
Ozempic is administered as a subcutaneous injection under the skin. Do not inject into a vein or muscle.
You will find detailed instructions on its use on the other side of this leaflet.
When to use Ozempic
To help you remember to inject this medication only once a week, it is recommended that you note on the box the day of the week chosen (e.g., Wednesday), as well as the date of each time you inject it.
If necessary, you can change the day of the weekly injection of this medication, provided that at least 3days have passed since the last injection. Once the new administration day has been selected, you must continue with the weekly dosing schedule.
If you use more Ozempic than you should
If you use more Ozempic than you should, consult your doctor immediately. You may experience adverse effects such as nausea.
If you forgot to use Ozempic
If you forgot to inject a dose and:
Do not use a double dose to compensate for the missed dose.
If you interrupt treatment with Ozempic
Do not interrupt treatment with this medication without consulting your doctor. If you interrupt it, your blood sugar levels may increase.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
Severe side effects
Frequent (can affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Not common(can affect up to 1 in 100 people)
Rare (can affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
Frequency not known(cannot be estimated from available data)
Other side effects
Very frequent(can affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Frequent(can affect up to 1 in 10 people)
The warning signs of low blood sugar can appear suddenly. Some of these symptoms are: cold sweat, pale and cold skin, headache, palpitations, nausea or excessive appetite, changes in vision, drowsiness or feeling weak, nervousness, anxiety or confusion, difficulty concentrating or tremors.
Your doctor will tell you how to treat low blood sugar and what to do if you notice these warning signs.
This low blood sugar is more likely to occur if you also use a sulfonilurea or insulin. Your doctor may reduce the dose of these medications before you start using this medicine.
Not common(can affect up to 1 in 100 people)
Reporting of side effects
If you experience any type of side effect, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if it is a possible side effect that does not appear in this prospectus. You can also report them directly through thenational notification system included in theAppendix V. By reporting side effects, you can contribute to providing more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medication out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medication after the expiration date that appears on the pen label and on the packaging after CAD. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
Before opening:
Store in refrigerator (between 2°C and 8°C). Do not freeze. Keep away from the refrigerator's cooling component.Store the pen with the cap on to protect it from light.
During use:
Do not use this medication if you observe that the solution is not transparent and colorless or almost colorless.
Medicines should not be disposed of through the drains or in the trash. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and the medication that you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.
Composition of Ozempic
Appearance of the product and contents of the pack
Ozempic is a transparent and colourless or almost colourless injectable solution in a pre-filled pen.
Each pre-filled pen contains 3 ml of solution, allowing the administration of 4 doses of 1 mg.
Ozempic 1 mg injectable solution is available in the following pack sizes:
1 pre-filled pen and 4 disposable NovoFine Plus needles.
3 pre-filled pens and 12 disposable NovoFine Plus needles.
Only some pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorisation holder
Novo Nordisk A/S
Novo Allé
DK-2880 Bagsværd
Denmark
Manufacturer responsible
Novo Nordisk A/S
Novo Allé
DK-2880 Bagsværd
Denmark
Novo Nordisk Production SAS
45, Avenue d’Orléans
28000 Chartres
France
Last update of the leaflet:
Other sources of information
The detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the European Medicines Agency:http://www.ema.europa.eu.
Instructions for use of Ozempic 1 mg injectable solution in a pre-filled pen | |
Read these instructions carefully before using your pre-filled pen Ozempic. Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist how to inject Ozempic correctly. Start by checking the pen to ensure it contains Ozempic 1 mg and then observe the following images to familiarize yourself with the different parts of the pen and needle. If you are blind or have reduced vision and cannot read the dose counter on the pen, do not use the pen without help.Find someone who can see well and knows how to use the pre-filled pen Ozempic. Your pen is a pre-filled dose pen. It contains 4 mg of semaglutide and you can only select doses of 1 mg. A pen that has not been used contains four doses of 1 mg. Use the table inside the box to keep track of how many injections you have given and when you gave them. The pen is designed to be used with 30G, 31G and 32G disposable needles up to 8 mm in length. The pack includes NovoFine Plus needles. | |
Important information Pay special attention to these notes, as they are important for the safe use of the pen. | |
1. Preparing the pen with a new needle | |
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Check that the paper clip and outer needle cap are not damaged and could affect sterility. If you see any damage, use a new needle.
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Make sure the needle is correctly placed.
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The needle is covered by two caps. You must remove both caps.If you forget to remove both caps,you will not inject the solution.
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If you try to put it back on, you could accidentally prick yourself with the needle. A small drop of solution may appear at the tip of the needle. This is normal, but despite this, you must check the flow if it is a new pen and you are using it for the first time. See step2 “Checking the flow with each new pen”. Do not put a new needlein the pen until you are ready to give the injection. | |
Always use a new needle for each injection. This will help prevent needle blockage, contamination, infection and inaccurate dosing. | |
Never use a bent or damaged needle. | |
2. Checking the flow with each new pen | |
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Press and hold the plungeruntil the dose counter returns to ‘0’. The ‘0’ must align with the dose marker. A drop of solution should appear at the tip of the needle. | |
You may see a small drop remaining at the tip of the needle, but no solution will be injected. If no drop appears,repeat step2 “Checking the flow with each new pen” a maximum of 6times. If no drop still appears, change the needle and repeat step2 “Checking the flow with each new pen” once more. Dispose of the pen and use a new oneif, despite this, no drop of solutionappears. | |
Always make sure a dropappears at the tip of the needle before using a new pen for the first time. This ensures the solution flows. If no drop appears, you will not receive the prescribed dose or achieve the intended effect of Ozempic. If you do not check the flow before the first injection with each new pen, it is possible that you will not receive the prescribed dose or achieve the intended effect of Ozempic. | |
3. Selecting the dose | |
•Turn the dose selector until you select 1mg. Continue turning until the dose counter stops and shows 1mg. | |
The dose counter and dose marker will be the only indicators that you have selected 1mg. You can only select 1mg per dose.When your pen contains less than 1mg, the dose counter will stop before showing a 1. The dose selector emits a different click when turned forward, backward or past 1mg. Do not count the clicks of the pen. | |
mg. Do not count the clicks of the pen. You must only select doses of 1mg with the dose selector.1mg must be exactly aligned with the dose marker to ensure you receive the correct dose. | |
How much solution is left | |
If it shows 1, there isat least 1mgleft in the pen. If thedose counter stops before 1mg,there is not enough solution left for a full dose of 1mg. | |
Do not use the pen if there is not enough solution left for a full dose. Instead, use a new pen Ozempic. | |
4. Injecting the dose | |
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If blood appears at the injection site, press gently. | |
A small drop of solution may appear at the needle tip after the injection. This is normal and will not affect your dose. | |
How to detect if the needle is blocked or damaged
What to do if the needle is blocked Change the needle as described in step5 “After the injection” and repeat all the steps from step 1 “Preparing the pen with a new needle”. Make sure you select the full dose you need. Never touch the dose counter during the injection.This could interrupt the injection. | |
5. After the injection | |
Always dispose of the needle after each injectionto ensure injections are administered correctly and prevent needle blockage. If the needle is blocked,no medicine will be injected.
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Put the pen cap back on the penafter each use to protect the solution from light. | |
When the pen is empty, dispose of itwithout the needle attached, following the instructions of your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or local authorities. | |
Never try to put the inner needle cap back on the needle.You could prick yourself with the needle. Always remove the needle from the pen immediately after each injection. This will help prevent needle blockage, contamination, infection, solution loss and inaccurate dosing. | |
Other important information | |
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Maintaining your pen | |
Treat the pen with care. Rough handling or misuse may cause inaccurate dosing. If this happens, you may not achieve the intended effect of this medicine. | |
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Have questions about this medication or your symptoms? Connect with a licensed doctor for guidance and personalized care.