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PharmRUAOzempic.pdf

Patient Education

Follow your healthcare provider’s instruction to administer Ozempic.

v Take Ozempic subcutaneously once a week in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm area (FDA, 2017). Rotate injection site each week.

v Check the color before administering. It should with no color, and clear (FDA, 2017). Do not use if it is cloudy or color change is noticed.

v Never mix Ozempic with insulin.

v Notify your provider all prescription and over the counter medications you are taking.

v Check your blood sugar.

v Use Ozempic in combination with your prescribed diet and exercise.

v Never share your Ozempic pen with others to prevent infection. (FDA, 2017)

Nursing considerations: Patient assessment and nursing management

v Monitor blood sugar level and HbA1c regularly.

v Monitor for signs of low blood sugar level.

v Monitor non-stopping nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

v Monitor fluid and carbohydrate intake.

v Assess for abdominal pain.

v Stop drug therapy for patients who develop signs of pancreatitis.

v Instruct patient on preparing and using the Ozempic pen, and observe a return demonstration by the patient.

Ozempic (semaglutide)

Once weekly injection

clara tezoh

Drug Administration and Dosage as stated in Sfairopoulos, Liatis, Tigas, and

Liberopoulos (2018)

Drug /food Interaction and contraindications

v Impacts the absorption of oral medications since Ozempic slows the time of emptying of the gastric.

v Increases the action of insulin in lowering blood sugar

v Contraindicated with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma and in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) (WHO, 2017).

Special Consideration

v Women planning to get pregnant should discontinue Ozempic at least 2 months before the pregnancy to allow enough time for the

Drug Class

v Ozempic (semaglutide) is an antidiabetics drug among the class of medication called incretin mimetics.

v It is a long-acting injectable prescription medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus to help control blood sugar (glucose). It is prescribed in addition to diet and exercise (Dhillon, 2018).

Mechanism of Action

v Reduces blood glucose through stimulating insulin secretion and lowering glucagon secretion (Dhillon, 2018).

v Dosage of 0.25 mg subcutaneous injection once a week for four weeks should be taken for treatment initiation.

v Dosage will be increased to 0.5 mg after the fourth week.

v 1 mg is the maximum dosage that can be taken in a week.

v It should be taken only once a week; it should be done on the same day each week at any time of the day.

v It can be taken with or without food.

v You can take a missed dose within five days. If not within five days, you should skip the missed dose and take the next dose on the regularly scheduled day.

v If changing the day of the weekly administration is found necessary, give at least two days or more than 48 hours between the two doses (FDA, 2017).

Lab effects/interference v HbA1c < 6.5%

Potential Side/Adverse Effects v Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach

pain, and constipation are the most common reported side effects.

v Risk of thyroid tumors, including cancer, is the black box warning by the FDA (FDA, 2017).