BBC Profiles Ottawa Patient Paying C$350-C$500 Monthly for Wegovy

A BBC report has profiled Elizabeth Doran, a 69-year-old retiree in Ottawa, who said she paid between C$350 and C$500 per month out of pocket for Wegovy and picked up substitute teaching shifts to cover the cost before generic semaglutide reached Canadian pharmacies [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

The patient case

According to the BBC, Doran has been taking GLP-1 medications for nearly a year and was prescribed Wegovy rather than Ozempic because she had not developed diabetes [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. She told the broadcaster, "I was one decimal point away from being diabetic" [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

The BBC reported that her Wegovy prescription made her ineligible for the insurance drug coverage offered to diabetic seniors in Ontario, leaving her to pay between C$350 and C$500 per month [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. To afford the medication, Doran said she picked up substitute teaching shifts a few times a month, used discount cards offered by Novo Nordisk, and took advantage of a first-month free offer through her doctor [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Cost figures in context

The C$350-C$500 monthly range Doran reported sits within the current price band tracked on GLP1Prices.ca for Wegovy, which ranges from $270 to $550 across Canadian pharmacies. A second patient profiled by the BBC, Esther Linetsky, said she had to get off the drug temporarily and later rationed free samples of both Wegovy and Ozempic provided by her doctor [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Linetsky told the BBC: "My doctor wanted me to go up to the next dose, but going up to the next dose meant increasing my cost, and I couldn't afford to do it" [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Generic approvals reshape the equation

The BBC reported that Canada became the first G7 country to approve a generic semaglutide injection, and that the discounted medications were expected in pharmacies across the country as of the beginning of June, at less than a third of the cost [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Health Canada authorized the first generic semaglutide injection on April 28, 2026, with eight other submissions under review [Source: canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html].

The BBC noted that generic Ozempic from two manufacturers has been approved by Health Canada — Dr Reddy's and Apotex [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. Doran told the BBC she had already noticed the price of Wegovy drop since the generics were approved [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Apotex eyes US market

Martin Arès, CEO of Apotex, told the BBC the company was exploring ways to bring its generic product to Americans following tentative US Food and Drug Administration approval, but contended that it will definitely not be on the US market this year [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo]. "But we remain committed to bringing this product as soon as possible," Arès said, according to the BBC [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Erez Israeli, CEO of Dr Reddy's, told the BBC his company had applied for approval in more than 80 countries, including the US, and expects its generic to soon be available in South America, Africa and most of Asia — but not in the US, UK or Europe [Source: bbc.com/news/articles/c142y4p2eyxo].

Coverage gap highlighted

The Doran case illustrates a structural feature of Canadian public coverage flagged by the BBC: provincial drug programs that cover semaglutide for one indication may not cover it for another. Patients can use the insurance coverage checker to review plan-specific rules, and the generic semaglutide tracker for current launch status. Additional background is available in the FAQ.

Tirzepatide products including Mounjaro and Zepbound are not affected by the semaglutide generic approvals.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.