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Ozempic in Quebec: RAMQ, médicament d’exception and group plans

How the public plan (régime public) and group plans (assurance collective) split the cost, what RAMQ covers, what it refused, and the French terms you’ll meet.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 12 Oct 20265 min read19 sourcesWritten from published sources

Written for Canada. Other country versions are coming.

The short answer

For type 2 diabetes, yes, with conditions: RAMQ lists Ozempic as an exception drug (médicament d’exception). For weight loss, no: Quebec’s health minister decided not to list Wegovy in March 2026, and Mounjaro is left to private insurance. Quebec requires everyone to have drug insurance, and a group plan comes before RAMQ.

Key takeaways

  • RAMQ lists Ozempic as an exception drug for type 2 diabetes, used with metformin when a sulfonylurea is unsuitable, according to Diabète Québec’s March 2026 table.1
  • Quebec’s health minister decided on 4 March 2026 not to list Wegovy for people with a BMI of 35 or more, after INESSS advised against it.2
  • Quebec is the only province where the whole population must be covered by drug insurance, through a group plan or the public plan.3
  • The Ozempic savings card run by Novo Nordisk works at pharmacies across Canada, excluding Quebec.4
  • From 9 December 2026, Quebec pharmacists may prescribe for chronic diseases already diagnosed and switch a drug your plan doesn’t cover.5
On this page
  1. Who pays for your medicines in Quebec?
  2. Does RAMQ cover Ozempic?
  3. Does RAMQ cover Wegovy for weight loss?
  4. What about generic semaglutide and the savings card in Quebec?
  5. What can a Quebec pharmacist do?
  6. Which French terms will you meet?
  7. Questions people ask
  8. How we researched this

Who pays for your medicines in Quebec?

Either a group plan or RAMQ’s public plan. Quebec is the only province where everyone must be covered by drug insurance.3

Before you go further
  • GLP‑1 medicines are prescription-only in Canada.6
  • RAMQ’s own website blocked our access, so RAMQ criteria here come from Diabète Québec’s March 2026 table, a secondary source.1 Check the current wording with your pharmacist.
  • We give plan rules and decisions. We don’t recommend any brand, and no medicine is right for everyone.
  • Group plan first. Quebec’s drug insurance law requires anyone eligible for a private group drug plan (assurance collective) to join it.7
  • Otherwise, RAMQ. The public plan (régime public d’assurance médicaments) covered 3.7 million people in 2020, including almost everyone aged 65 or over.3
  • What you pay on RAMQ. An annual premium (prime) on your tax return, plus a monthly deductible (franchise) and a share of each prescription (coassurance), up to a monthly maximum.3 The amounts change each year.

Group plans set their own rules for weight-loss medicines. Across Canada, only a small number of private insurers cover GLP‑1s for weight management.8 Ask your insurer in writing before counting on it.

Does RAMQ cover Ozempic?

Yes, for type 2 diabetes, as an exception drug (médicament d’exception). The criteria: used with metformin, when a sulfonylurea is unsuitable, not tolerated or hasn’t worked.1

An exception drug is paid only when its listed criteria are met. For Ozempic, Diabète Québec’s table gives the criteria as “In association with MET, where a SU is contraindicated, not tolerated or ineffective” (MET is metformin; SU is a sulfonylurea, such as gliclazide).1

  • Type 2 diabetes only. Ozempic is approved in Canada for type 2 diabetes, and for lowering heart and kidney risk in some people with it. It isn’t approved for weight loss.9
  • Mounjaro: the table lists it as covered by private insurance, not by RAMQ.1
  • First Nations and Inuit: the federal NIHB program lists Ozempic as Limited Use for type 2 diabetes not controlled by metformin or other diabetes medicines.1

Does RAMQ cover Wegovy for weight loss?

No. Quebec’s health technology agency, INESSS, advised against listing Wegovy twice, and the minister decided not to list it for people with a BMI of 35 or more.2,10

Wegovy requestINESSS adviceMinister’s decision
Heart and metabolic health, BMI 35 or moreRefus d’inscription – Valeur thérapeutique2Not listed (4 March 2026)2
Preventing another heart event, BMI 27 or moreRefus d’inscription – Ensemble des aspects10Deferred (11 December 2025)10

INESSS extract notices to the Minister, checked 12 Oct 2026.

Outside Quebec, the national agency (Canada’s Drug Agency) recommended funding Wegovy only for adults with established heart disease and a BMI of 27 or more, at a lower price.11 Price talks ended without agreement on 1 December 2025.12 Our post on why no province covers Wegovy or Zepbound tells that story.

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What about generic semaglutide and the savings card in Quebec?

Quebec listed two generics as exception drugs in June 2026, but supply has been tight. The Ozempic savings card doesn’t apply in Quebec.18,14,4

  • Supply: in June 2026, Quebec pharmacists said they couldn’t meet demand for generic semaglutide.14
  • RAMQ listing: on 25 June 2026 Quebec’s minister decided to list the Dr. Reddy’s and Apotex generics (approved by Health Canada for type 2 diabetes13) as exception drugs (médicaments d’exception), after INESSS recommended listing them with conditions.18,19 The criteria themselves are on RAMQ’s list, which blocked our access, so ask your pharmacist.
  • Savings card: Novo Nordisk’s card works “across Canada, excluding Quebec”.4 We don’t show its price, because it’s a coupon, not a list price.

Our post on switching from Ozempic to a generic explains how the pens differ.

What can a Quebec pharmacist do?

More from 9 December 2026. New rules let pharmacists prescribe for chronic diseases already diagnosed, and switch a medicine when it isn’t covered by your insurance plan.5

The Quebec government announced the rules on 20 August 2026, under a law passed on 7 November 2024 (Bill 67). Its list of new powers includes:5

  • prescrire des médicaments contre des maladies chroniques déjà diagnostiquées: prescribing for chronic diseases already diagnosed.5
  • substituer le médicament: switching a medicine when there’s a problem with it, or when your plan doesn’t cover it.5

The announcement doesn’t mention GLP‑1 medicines by name.5 Our post on whether a pharmacist can prescribe Ozempic compares provinces.

Which French terms will you meet?

RAMQ, INESSS and pharmacies use French terms. These are the ones that matter for GLP‑1 coverage.

French termWhat it means
Régime public d’assurance médicaments (RPAM)The public drug plan run by RAMQ
Assurance collectiveA group plan through work, a union or a professional order
Médicament d’exceptionException drug: paid only when listed criteria are met
Liste des médicamentsThe list of drugs the public plan pays for
RemboursementReimbursement (coverage)
Franchise, coassuranceDeductible, and the share of each prescription you pay
OrdonnancePrescription
Refus d’inscriptionINESSS advised against adding a drug to the list
Info-Santé 811Quebec’s nurse advice line

Our plain-English glosses of terms used by RAMQ, INESSS and the Quebec government.

Get help now: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for severe stomach pain that won’t go away; the Canadian labels say to get immediate medical help.15 If you think you injected too much, call a poison centre on 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669), or 1-800-463-5060 in Quebec.16 For advice that isn’t an emergency, call 811 in most provinces (Info-Santé 811 in Quebec).17

Questions people ask

L’Ozempic est-il remboursé par la RAMQ? (Does RAMQ cover Ozempic?)

Yes, for type 2 diabetes, as an exception drug used with metformin when a sulfonylurea is unsuitable.1 Not for weight loss.

Does RAMQ cover Wegovy?

No. The minister decided on 4 March 2026 not to list it for a BMI of 35 or more, and deferred a decision on heart prevention.2,10

Does RAMQ cover Mounjaro?

Diabète Québec’s March 2026 table lists Mounjaro as private insurance only.1

Can I choose RAMQ instead of my work plan?

Generally no. Quebec’s drug insurance law requires anyone eligible for a private group drug plan to join it.7

Does the Ozempic savings card work in Quebec?

No. Novo Nordisk says it works across Canada, excluding Quebec.4

L’Ozempic est-il remboursé par la RAMQ?

How we researched this

On 12 Oct 2026 we read Diabète Québec’s March 2026 coverage table, two INESSS notices on Wegovy and two on generic semaglutide, the Quebec government’s releases on the public drug plan (2020) and on pharmacists’ new powers (August 2026), Novo Nordisk’s savings-card release and a June 2026 CTV report.

RAMQ’s own website and Quebec’s law database blocked our access, so RAMQ criteria come from Diabète Québec. We don’t give this year’s premium or deductible amounts, which change each year. We name no pharmacy, clinic or insurer.

Before you move on

  • RAMQ covers Ozempic for type 2 diabetes, with exception-drug criteria.
  • No public plan in Quebec covers Wegovy for weight loss.
  • If you can join a group plan, it pays first; ask it in writing about weight-loss drugs.
  • Quebec pharmacists gain new prescribing powers from 9 December 2026.
I have type 2 diabetesSide effects and risks

More from the Canada blog

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About GLP Guidebook

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An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don't sell medicines, take drug-company money or earn clinic commissions. Once a month: coverage changes, approvals, safety notices and recalls. How we write

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Sources

  1. Diabète Québec. Antihyperglycemic drugs for type 2 diabetes: table with RAMQ and NIHB reimbursement criteria, March 2026 (Ozempic: exception drug; Mounjaro: private insurance). A secondary source: RAMQ’s own site blocked our access. diabete.qc.ca (PDF)
  2. INESSS. Extract notice to the Minister: Wegovy (amélioration des paramètres cardiométaboliques, IMC ≥ 35). “Refus d’inscription – Valeur thérapeutique”; Minister: “Ne pas inscrire” (4 March 2026). inesss.qc.ca
  3. Gouvernement du Québec. Régime public d’assurance médicaments: modification de la participation financière de certains assurés. 29 December 2020 (structure of the premium, deductible and co-insurance; “le Québec est la seule province canadienne où toute la population est obligatoirement couverte par un régime d’assurance médicaments”). quebec.ca
  4. Novo Nordisk Canada. Ozempic Savings Card program expanded for patients with private coverage. Press release, 6 July 2026. novonordisk.ca (PDF)
  5. Gouvernement du Québec, Santé et Services sociaux. Un meilleur accès aux soins et aux services de première ligne: élargissement des services cliniques offerts directement en pharmacie. 20 August 2026 (new rules in force 9 December 2026). quebec.ca
  6. Health Canada. Drug Product Database: product records and status for semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide products (all on the prescription schedule; generic semaglutide products from Dr. Reddy’s and Apotex marketed in May 2026; Sevmia, Aspen and Sandoz products approved but not marketed). Searched 12 October 2026. health-products.canada.ca
  7. Gouvernement du Québec. Adhésion et modification (assurances collectives): “La Loi sur l’assurance médicaments oblige la personne qui est admissible à un régime d’assurance médicaments collectif privé à y adhérer.” Opened 12 October 2026. quebec.ca
  8. Global News (Canadian Press). Novo Nordisk to lower Ozempic price for some Canadians as generics arrive. 26 May 2026. globalnews.ca
  9. Novo Nordisk Canada. Ozempic (semaglutide injection) product monograph (the Canadian label), date of authorization 13 July 2026. Sections 1, 4.4, 4.5, 11 and patient information. pdf.hres.ca
  10. INESSS. Extract notice to the Minister: Wegovy (prévention cardiovasculaire, IMC ≥ 27). “Refus d’inscription – Ensemble des aspects”; Minister: “Surseoir à la décision” (11 December 2025). inesss.qc.ca
  11. Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC). Semaglutide (Wegovy) reimbursement recommendation SR0841, July 2025 (“Reimburse with conditions” for adults with BMI 27 or more and established cardiovascular disease; renewal needs at least a 5% reduction; about $5,066 a year). canjhealthtechnol.ca
  12. BC PharmaCare. Drug coverage decision: semaglutide (Wegovy), “Non-benefit”, 18 December 2025 (pCPA talks ended without agreement on 1 December 2025). gov.bc.ca (PDF)
  13. Health Canada. Canada becomes the first G7 country to approve a generic version of semaglutide. News release, 28 April 2026. canada.ca
  14. CTV News Montreal. Quebec pharmacies face shortage of generic semaglutides. 16 June 2026. ctvnews.ca
  15. Novo Nordisk Canada. Wegovy (semaglutide injection) product monograph, date of authorization 2 October 2026. Sections 1, 2, 4.4, 4.5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14 and patient information. pdf.hres.ca
  16. Health Canada. Canada launches new toll-free 1-844 POISON-X number for poison centres (Quebec keeps the Centre antipoison du Québec, 1-800-463-5060). News release, 20 March 2023. canada.ca
  17. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Medical services by phone (811 lines by province, including Info-Santé 811 in Quebec). Opened 12 October 2026. heartandstroke.ca
  18. INESSS. Extract notice to the Minister: Sémaglutide (Dr Reddy’s). “Inscription – Sous conditions”; Minister: “Inscrire sur les listes des médicaments – Médicament d’exception” (25 June 2026). inesss.qc.ca
  19. INESSS. Extract notice to the Minister: Apo-Semaglutide Injection (Apotex). “Inscription – Sous conditions”; Minister: “Inscrire sur les listes des médicaments – Médicament d’exception” (25 June 2026). inesss.qc.ca

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It's general information, not medical, legal or tax advice. Talk to a qualified doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write