Considerations With Ozempic 0.25 Weekly
PAAS National® analysts receive many questions on Ozempic® relating to concerns about off label use; however, we also receive questions about what days’ supply to submit on claims – particularly for initiation dosing.
Section 2.1 of the manufacturer’s product label (available on DailyMed) lists the recommended dosage schedule based on clinical trials and includes the following titration schedule:
- Start OZEMPIC with a 0.25 mg subcutaneous injection once weekly for 4 weeks. The 0.25 mg dosage is intended for treatment initiation and is not effective for glycemic control.
- After 4 weeks on the 0.25 mg dosage, increase the dosage to 0.5 mg once weekly.
- If additional glycemic control is needed after at least 4 weeks on the 0.5 mg dosage, the dosage may be increased to 1 mg once weekly.
- If additional glycemic control is needed after at least 4 weeks on the 1 mg dosage, the dosage may be increased to 2 mg once weekly. The maximum recommended dosage is 2 mg once weekly.
What happens if the prescriber wants a patient to stay on the 0.25 mg dose for longer than 4 weeks? What if the prescription simply states “inject 0.25 mg weekly”? What days’ supply should the pharmacy transmit?
If you receive a new Ozempic® prescription with instructions of 0.25 mg weekly, we suggest that pharmacies follow-up with prescribers to discuss the manufacturer recommended dosage titration and confirm if patients will be titrating the dose to 0.5 mg or 1 mg weekly, and when. If the prescriber’s office confirms that the patient should stay on the 0.25 mg weekly dose for eight weeks, then the pharmacy should submit the claim as a 56-day supply (if possible) and provide the patient with additional pen needles to accommodate all needed doses. As a reminder, pharmacies may be required to bill a claim as a 30-day supply due to plan limits – in these situations, make sure to follow the Can You Bill It As 30 Days? process to ensure that you do not refill early.
PAAS Tips:
- Advise patients to NOT re-use pen needles
- Do NOT advise patients to discard their first Ozempic pen at 42 days if they only use 0.25 mg per week
- This would create unnecessary waste and could subject the claim to a future audit discrepancy for “early refills”
- See August 2020 Newsline article, Ozempic® – Bill It Right! for examples on various titration schedules and suggested day supply for initial and maintenance dosing
- See May 2023 Newsline article, Ozempic® Package Size Change for discussion of currently available NDCs, doses provided, and billing quantity
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