Semaglutide Dosage Chart: Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Compounded Semaglutide

Semaglutide dosing is not one universal schedule. The correct dose depends on the specific product, route, indication, and formulation. Ozempic is a once-weekly injection used for type 2 diabetes and certain cardiovascular and kidney-risk indications. Wegovy is available as both an injection and an oral tablet for approved weight-reduction and cardiovascular-risk indications. Rybelsus is an oral semaglutide product for adults with type 2 diabetes and now has two tablet formulations that are not interchangeable milligram-for-milligram.

Because these products use different dosing schedules, a single semaglutide dosage chart can be misleading if it combines them. The tables below separate each FDA-approved regimen and explain where compounded semaglutide fits in.

Semaglutide Dosage at a Glance

These are labeled regimens, not individualized prescribing instructions. A clinician may delay escalation, select a different maintenance strategy, or switch formulations based on the indication, response, adverse effects, and other medications.

Semaglutide - What Is It?

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It activates the GLP-1 receptor, helping regulate blood glucose, reduce appetite, and slow gastric emptying. Its effects and approved uses depend on the product and dose.

This is why Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus should not be treated as interchangeable brand names for one dosing plan. They contain semaglutide, but their approved indications, strengths, administration instructions, and titration schedules differ. Novo Nordisk's mechanism-of-action overview provides additional background on GLP-1 receptor signaling.

Ozempic Dosage Chart

According to the current Ozempic prescribing information, Ozempic is administered once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals. The 0.25 mg dose is a starting dose used for treatment initiation; it is not a maintenance dose for glycemic control.

What Is Ozempic Used For?

Ozempic is FDA-approved to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is also approved to reduce major cardiovascular events in certain adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease, and to reduce the risk of kidney-disease progression and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. It is not labeled as a chronic weight-management drug, even though weight loss may occur during treatment.

For additional background on 2 mg semaglutide in type 2 diabetes, see the existing CADTH health technology review.

Ozempic Missed Dose

If an Ozempic dose is missed, take it as soon as possible within 5 days. If more than 5 days have passed, skip the missed dose and take the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. The weekly administration day can be changed as long as at least 48 hours separate two doses.

Wegovy Injection Dosage Chart

The current Wegovy prescribing information uses a gradual escalation schedule for the injection to reduce gastrointestinal adverse reactions.

For adult weight reduction, the recommended maintenance dose is generally 2.4 mg once weekly, with 1.7 mg available in some situations. The 2026 Wegovy label also includes additional injection strengths for selected patients, so current product labeling and prescriber guidance should take priority over older charts.

The manufacturer also provides a patient-facing Wegovy dosing schedule that shows the stepwise escalation.

Wegovy Tablets Dosage Chart

Wegovy tablets use a completely different milligram scale from the weekly injection. They are taken once daily on an empty stomach in the morning with up to 4 ounces of water. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking other beverages, or taking other oral medications.

The oral and injectable Wegovy doses are not milligram-equivalent. Switching between them follows product-specific instructions in the current label and should not be done by simple numerical conversion.

Rybelsus Dosage Chart

Rybelsus is oral semaglutide for adults with type 2 diabetes. The current Rybelsus prescribing information lists two formulations, R1 and R2. They are not substitutable milligram-for-milligram and should not be used together.

Both formulations are taken on an empty stomach in the morning with up to 4 ounces of water. Wait at least 30 minutes before food, beverages, or other oral medicines, and swallow the tablet whole. For background on oral semaglutide, see A Peptide in a Pill - Oral Semaglutide in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes.

Semaglutide Dosage for Weight Loss

For FDA-approved chronic weight management, dosing should be based on the Wegovy regimen rather than an Ozempic dose chart. The weekly Wegovy injection starts at 0.25 mg and escalates every 4 weeks; the oral Wegovy tablet starts at 1.5 mg daily and escalates over 90 days to 25 mg daily.

Using Ozempic specifically for weight loss is an off-label prescribing decision. The phrase “maximum Ozempic dose for weight loss” can therefore be misleading: 2 mg weekly is the maximum labeled Ozempic dose, but Ozempic's label is not a chronic weight-management indication.

Semaglutide has substantial evidence for weight reduction in appropriately selected patients, including real-world research such as the SCOPE semaglutide 2.4 mg study. Outcomes vary, and dose escalation is based on tolerability and the approved product regimen rather than a target percentage of body-weight loss. UCLA also provides a patient-focused overview of semaglutide for weight loss.

Compounded Semaglutide Dosing

Compounded semaglutide should not be placed into the same standardized dosing chart as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus. Compounded products are not FDA-approved, may be supplied in different concentrations and containers, and can require formulation-specific instructions from the prescriber and dispensing pharmacy.

The FDA has warned about dosing errors with compounded injectable semaglutide, including errors caused by converting milligrams to syringe units and by variation in vial concentrations. Some reported errors required medical attention or hospitalization.

The FDA also continues to warn that unapproved compounded GLP-1 products do not undergo the same premarket review for safety, effectiveness, or quality as FDA-approved products. Its current GLP-1 compounding safety page addresses semaglutide salt forms, adverse-event reports, and misleading claims that compounded products are the same as approved brands.

If compounded semaglutide is prescribed, confirm the exact concentration, dose in milligrams, volume to inject, and the syringe markings for that specific product. Do not rely on a generic online units-to-milligrams conversion chart.

How to Take Semaglutide Safely

Weekly Injections

• Take the injection on the same day each week unless your product-specific instructions allow a schedule change.

• Ozempic and Wegovy injections can be administered in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm; rotate injection sites.

• Do not mix semaglutide and insulin in the same injection. They may be injected in the same body region, but not next to one another.

Follow the instructions for the exact pen, syringe, or presentation you were prescribed.

Oral Semaglutide

• Rybelsus and Wegovy tablets have different dose strengths and indications; do not substitute one for the other.

• Take the tablet in the morning on an empty stomach with the amount of water specified by the product label.

• Wait at least 30 minutes before eating, drinking other beverages, or taking other oral medications.

• Swallow tablets whole; do not split, crush, or chew them.

General administration information is also available from MedlinePlus and the Mayo Clinic semaglutide monograph.

What to Do If You Miss a Semaglutide Dose

Semaglutide Side Effects and Safety Considerations

Common semaglutide adverse reactions are primarily gastrointestinal and can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and constipation. The exact adverse-reaction profile varies by product and indication.

Current labels also include warnings about acute pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, acute kidney injury related to volume depletion, diabetic retinopathy complications in some patients, and severe gastrointestinal adverse reactions. Semaglutide-containing products carry a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors observed in rodents and are contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2.

Another current labeling issue is pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation. Because GLP-1 receptor agonists can delay gastric emptying, patients should tell procedural and anesthesia teams that they are taking semaglutide before planned procedures.

The existing StatPearls semaglutide review provides additional background on adverse effects. For the most current contraindications and warnings, use the prescribing information for the exact product.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This website connects patients with licensed healthcare providers who can evaluate medical conditions and prescribe medications when appropriate. Some medications available through this service may be compounded drugs, which are customized formulations prepared by a pharmacy. The FDA does not conduct premarket review for compounded drugs to evaluate their safety, effectiveness, or quality. (See here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/it-really-fda-approved). Individual results may vary, and these medications should only be used under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional. The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment.