Vital: Generic Semaglutide Reaching Canada's 10,000+ Pharmacies

Distribution rollout underway

Vital, identified as Canada's pharmaceutical supply chain alliance, confirmed that generic semaglutide products are en route to pharmacies but are passing through distributors first [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. A Vital spokesperson said availability may vary across regions as products move through the supply chain to Canada's more than 10,000 pharmacies [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

The spokesperson added that manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies are working collaboratively to ensure supply reaches patients safely and securely, and as soon as possible [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

Major pharmacy chains confirm inventory

A spokesperson for Rexall said the company expects a shipment of generic semaglutide by the end of the week [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. Shoppers Drug Mart's spokesperson said in an email that "inventory is beginning to arrive at our distribution centres and select Shoppers Drug Mart locations," adding that availability is expected to continue expanding across Canada through the end of the week and into the following week, with timing varying by province and individual store [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

Apotex, which is based in Canada, said it began shipping its product on Tuesday [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. India-based Dr. Reddy's said via email that its product had already arrived in select Canadian pharmacies and would be available more widely across the country in the coming days [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

Pricing signals from manufacturers

Apotex stated that its generic semaglutide will be approximately one-third the price of Novo Nordisk's brand-name Ozempic [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/]. A spokesperson for Dr. Reddy's did not disclose pricing details beyond describing it as "competitive" [Source: globalnews.ca/news/11857122/generic-semaglutide-canada-sales-begin/].

According to the pricing structure of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, 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/]. Current pharmacy cash prices tracked on GLP1Prices.ca show Ozempic ranging from $222 to $663 CAD and Wegovy ranging from $270 to $490 CAD.

Substitution and reimbursement

Alison Kraayvanger, a spokesperson for 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/].

Kraayvanger added that 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/]. Patients can review their plan details using our insurance coverage checker.

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/].

Regulatory backdrop

Health Canada authorized the Dr. Reddy's submission on April 28, 2026, calling it the first generic semaglutide authorized by Health Canada and the first to be approved in the G7 [Source: canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2026/04/canada-becomes-the-first-g7-country-to-approve-a-generic-version-of-semaglutide.html]. The BMJ reported that Canada became only the second country in the world to approve a generic form of semaglutide, made possible after Novo Nordisk did not pay a $C250 annual fee [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166]. Seven other applications remained under review at the time of that report [Source: bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-597166].

For ongoing approvals, see our generic semaglutide tracker or our FAQ.