An Ozempic pen holds four doses of 0.5 mg. That is the 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg pen, which contains 2 mg of semaglutide in 3 mL[1].
The label lists a second pattern for the same pen. It is four doses of 0.25 mg, then two of 0.5 mg[1]. Both patterns add up to the same 2 mg. The price of every pen and the pill is in the Ozempic cost guide.
| Pen | Holds | Doses | Needles | Per pen | Per dose | Per mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg pen | 2 mg | 4 × 0.5 mg | 6 | $349 | $87.25 | $174.50 |
| 1 mg pen | 4 mg | 4 × 1 mg | 4 | $349 | $87.25 | $87.25 |
| 2 mg pen | 8 mg | 4 × 2 mg | 4 | $499 | $124.75 | $62.38 |
Why the first pen lasts six weeks
The label starts Ozempic at 0.25 mg weekly for 4 weeks[1]. It then moves to 0.5 mg weekly[1]. The first pen follows that schedule by itself. How semaglutide compares with tirzepatide on price is in tirzepatide vs semaglutide cost.
Four starting doses use 1 mg. The remaining 1 mg gives two 0.5 mg doses[1]. That is six weekly shots from one pen.
Novo prices one pen as a 28-day supply[3]. On the starting pattern, it lasts six weeks instead. That puts each starting-pen dose at $58.17.
Six weekly doses fit inside the pen’s in-use limit. After first use, a pen is kept for 56 days, then discarded even with drug left[1].
What each 0.5 mg dose costs
The standing self-pay price for the 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg pen is $349[2]. Novo defines that month as one box of one pen[2].
$87.25
Per 0.5 mg dose, four-dose pattern
Source: Novo Nordisk
$58.17
Per dose, first pen on the six-dose pattern
Source: Novo Nordisk
$174.50
Per mg in the 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg pen
Source: Novo Nordisk
New patients get a lower price first. It is $199 a month for 2 fills at 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg, through December 31, 2026[2]. After that, the standing price applies[2].
Novo’s own pharmacy is covered in NovoCare Pharmacy. Its terms list the same Ozempic pen prices[3].
The per-milligram trap
The 1 mg pen costs the same $349[2]. It holds 4 mg, twice the drug[1]. Per milligram it is half the price.
That gap cannot be used for 0.5 mg doses. The 1 mg pen’s carton says it delivers doses in 1 mg increments only[1]. The 2 mg pen delivers 2 mg doses only[1].
When the pen is nearly empty
The dose counter tells you what is left. Turn the selector until it stops[1]. If it stops before 0.5, there is not enough for a full 0.5 mg dose[1].
The label then says to use a new pen[1]. It does not describe combining two pens.
The flow check pushes out a drop of drug. It is done once, before the first injection with each new pen[1].
Needles come in the box
The 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg pen ships with six NovoFine Plus needles[1]. The 1 mg and 2 mg pens ship with four[1]. Each injection takes a new needle[1].
Six needles cover the six-dose starting pattern. Extra needles, and where used ones go, are in peptide needles and syringes.
Before the next refill
- Which pen is on the prescription: 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg?
- Is this the first pen, on the six-dose starting pattern?
- Has the pen been in use for 56 days yet?
- Does the dose counter still reach a full dose?
Compounded semaglutide is measured in syringe units, not pen doses. That conversion is in the semaglutide dosage chart in units. Seller prices are on the semaglutide price board.