Is Ozempic Tax Deductible in Canada?

"Tax deductible" is the wrong term, and the difference matters to the number on your return. A prescription drug cost is not a deduction against income. It feeds the medical expense tax credit, a non-refundable credit that only starts working once your eligible expenses pass a threshold. Below that threshold, the claim is worth nothing.

This page covers what CRA publishes about claiming prescription drug costs, using GLP-1 prescriptions as the example. It is about tax and money only, and says nothing about what any medication does.

Not tax or medical advice. Your outcome depends on your income, your reimbursements and your province. Confirm your own situation with the Canada Revenue Agency or a tax professional, and speak to your prescriber or pharmacist about medication questions.

The CRA test for prescription drugs

CRA's Income Tax Folio S1-F1-C1 ¶1.123 sets out paragraph 118.2(2)(n). An amount paid for a drug qualifies where the drug "can only be lawfully acquired if it is prescribed by a medical practitioner or dentist for use by the patient", and "the purchase of the drug is recorded by a pharmacist" (accessed 30 September 2026).

Two conditions, both mechanical. Legal prescription status, and a pharmacist record. The folio is equally clear about what fails: "the costs of drugs that can be lawfully acquired without a prescription do not qualify as medical expenses even if prescribed by a medical practitioner or dentist" (¶1.124), and CRA's guide RC4065 adds that over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements do not qualify "even if prescribed by a medical practitioner", with a narrow exception for vitamin B12 (accessed 30 September 2026).

GLP-1 medications sold in Canada are prescription-only products dispensed through a pharmacy, which puts them on the qualifying side of both conditions. That applies the same way to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Rybelsus, Saxenda and generic semaglutide such as Apo-Semaglutide, Plosbrio and Poviztra. Nothing in the drug test refers to the indication.

The threshold that decides whether the claim is worth filing

You do not claim your eligible expenses. You claim the amount above a floor. CRA's page for lines 33099 and 33199 subtracts the lesser of 3% of your net income (line 23600) or $2,834 for the 2025 tax year (accessed 30 September 2026). The fixed figure is indexed annually, so check CRA's page for the year you are filing.

What that means in practice:

• If your net income is $60,000, 3% is $1,800, which is less than $2,834. Your floor is $1,800.
• If your net income is $120,000, 3% is $3,600, which is more than $2,834. Your floor is $2,834.

Only the eligible expenses above that floor generate a credit, and the credit is a percentage of that excess, not a refund of it. A single month of an unreimbursed GLP-1 prescription will not get most households over the floor on its own — but a full year of prescription costs plus dental, vision, paramedical and plan premiums often does. Add everything up before you conclude there is nothing to claim.

Why an HSA or insurer reimbursement cancels the claim

This is the part people get wrong. CRA's rule is that "you can only claim the part of the expense that you or someone else have not been and will not be reimbursed for". RC4065 lists among non-claimable items "the part of medical expenses ... for which you can get reimbursed, such as reimbursements from a private insurance".

So:

• Amounts your drug plan paid: not claimable.
• Amounts your health spending account reimbursed: not claimable, because employer HSA reimbursements under a private health services plan are non-taxable.
• The co-pay, the amount above a plan maximum, and anything you paid entirely out of pocket: claimable, subject to the threshold.

There is a narrow exception. Folio S1-F1-C1 ¶1.16 describes paragraph 118.2(3)(b), which allows a claim to the extent the reimbursement "is required to be included in computing income and is not deductible in computing taxable income" — that is, if you were taxed on the reimbursement, it is not treated as having reduced your expense. A normal employer HSA reimbursement is not taxable, so this exception usually does not apply.

The order to work in, if you want to leave the largest legitimate claim: drug plan first, then any manufacturer savings card, then your HSA, and the medical expense tax credit last on what remains. Our coverage checker and coverage walkthrough cover the first step.

Lines 33099 and 33199, and who you can claim for

• Line 33099 — expenses for yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, and your children under 18.
• Line 33199 — expenses for other dependants: dependants aged 18 or over, and a parent, grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece who was resident in Canada.

Both lines apply the same threshold calculation. Line 33099 was numbered line 330 before 2019, which is why older articles and accountants still refer to it that way.

Which 12-month period to use

You are not locked to the calendar year. CRA lets you claim eligible expenses paid in any 12-month period ending in the tax year, as long as you did not already claim them in the previous year. For a prescription cost that started mid-year, choosing a 12-month window that captures the largest run of unreimbursed bills can be the difference between clearing the threshold and not. The same expense cannot be claimed twice.

It is also usually better to put the family's expenses on one return — typically the lower-income spouse's, because a lower net income means a lower 3% floor — subject to that spouse having enough tax payable to use a non-refundable credit.

Records CRA can ask for

CRA's instruction is blunt: "Do not send any documents with your tax return. Keep them in case the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) asks to see them later."

For prescription costs, keep the pharmacy's official prescription receipt, not the debit slip. It should show the patient, the drug name and DIN, the strength and quantity, the prescriber, the dispensing date, the amount you paid and the pharmacy. Most pharmacies will print a full prescription history for a date range on request, which is the cleanest single record for a year's claim. Keep your plan's explanation of benefits too, since it evidences how much was reimbursed and therefore how much was not.

Premiums you may also be able to claim

Separately from drug costs, RC4065 lists as eligible "premiums paid to private health services plans including medical, dental, and hospitalization plans", claimable "as long as 90% or more of the premiums paid under the plan are for eligible medical expenses". If you pay for private coverage yourself — a personal health plan, or your share of a group plan taken from your pay — those premiums may add to the same claim and help clear the threshold.

Related

• HSA and GLP-1 medication costs in Canada
• Can you use an HSA for Ozempic in Canada?
• Generic Ozempic cost guide

FAQ

Is a GLP-1 prescription an eligible medical expense in Canada?

Where it is a drug that lawfully requires a prescription and the purchase is recorded by a pharmacist, it meets the conditions CRA describes in folio S1-F1-C1 ¶1.123. Confirm your own circumstances with CRA or your adviser.

Is it a deduction or a credit?

A non-refundable credit, claimed on line 33099 or 33199 — not a deduction from income.

Can I claim it if my HSA or insurer reimbursed me?

No, not the reimbursed portion. Only what you were not and will not be reimbursed for, unless the reimbursement was included in your income.

Do I need to send receipts to CRA?

No. Keep them in case CRA asks.

Can I claim the pharmacy dispensing fee?

CRA's published wording for drugs describes the amount paid for a drug that is recorded by a pharmacist and does not separately address dispensing fees. Keep the full prescription receipt, which shows the pharmacy's total charge, and confirm how the fee is handled with CRA or your tax adviser.

Does the generic version change anything?

Not for the drug test — generic semaglutide is still a prescription drug recorded by a pharmacist. It changes the amount, which is what the threshold is measured against. Compare current prices.

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Prices shown on this site are for informational purposes only. This site does not provide medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before making any medication decisions. Drug prices vary by location and may change without notice.