Rexall, Shoppers Expect Generic Semaglutide Shipments This Week
Generic semaglutide products from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Apotex are flowing into Canadian pharmacies this week, with Rexall expecting a shipment by the end of the week and Shoppers Drug Mart reporting that inventory is arriving at distribution centres and select locations [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].
How the rollout is moving through the supply chain
Apotex, which is based in Canada, said it began shipping its generic semaglutide on Tuesday, while India-based Dr. Reddy's said its product has already arrived in select Canadian pharmacies and will be more widely available across the country in the coming days [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Vital, Canada's pharmaceutical supply chain alliance, confirmed that generic semaglutide products are on their way to pharmacies but are going through distributors first, and warned that availability may vary across regions as products move through the supply chain to more than 10,000 Canadian pharmacies [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].
A Shoppers Drug Mart spokesperson said availability is expected to continue expanding across Canada through the end of this week and into next, with timing varying by province and individual store [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].
Pricing signals from the manufacturers
Apotex said its generic semaglutide will be approximately one-third the price of Novo Nordisk's brand-name Ozempic, while a spokesperson for Dr. Reddy's did not disclose pricing details except to say that it will be "competitive" [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Under the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance framework, when two generic medications enter the market, they are at least 50 per cent cheaper than the brand name, though companies can price them lower [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].
Once three generic competitors are on the market, Canadian policy will drive list-price discounts of about 65 per cent [Source: benefitsandpensionsmonitor.com/benefits/pharma/ozempic-generics-set-to-test-canadas-drug-budgets/392976]. Current pharmacy prices for brand Ozempic tracked on GLP1Prices.ca range from $215 to $663 CAD per month depending on dose and pharmacy.
Substitution rules and the pharmacist's role
Alison Kraayvanger of the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada said that because Health Canada has approved the Dr. Reddy's and Apotex products as generic equivalents to Ozempic, pharmacists are able to substitute the generic for the brand product in accordance with existing provincial substitution rules, unless the prescriber has indicated otherwise or there is a clinical reason the patient requires the brand product [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Whether and when public and private drug plans choose to reimburse the generic versions instead of the brand product will be determined independently by each provincial drug plan and private insurer [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].
Mina Tadrous, a pharmaceutical policy expert at the University of Toronto, said the first patients to get generic semaglutide will likely be those paying out of pocket, because it will take some time to add the new products to provincial public formularies and private insurance plans [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Tadrous pointed patients to their pharmacist as "the one-stop shop" for navigating dispensing and reimbursement questions [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Patients can also use the insurance coverage checker and generic semaglutide tracker on GLP1Prices.ca.
Where the queue stands at Health Canada
Health Canada authorized the first generic semaglutide injection on April 28, 2026, making Canada the first G7 country to approve a generic version of the molecule, and is currently reviewing eight other submissions for generic semaglutide from different companies [Source: canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html]. According to the BMJ, the Dr. Reddy's generic became available in Canada on May 15, 2026, while the Apotex version did not yet have a release date at the time of that report, and seven other applications remain under review [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166].
Brand-name Wegovy, the higher-dose semaglutide product, and oral Rybelsus remain on the market alongside the new generics. Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound are not affected by the semaglutide patent expiry. For background on substitution and coverage questions, see the GLP1Prices.ca FAQ.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
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