Ozempic is the type-2-diabetes brand of semaglutide, supplied as a multi-dose prefilled pen with a dose selector — so the pen meters the dose for you. This page explains the Ozempic dose steps, then gives you the calculator you need if you are dosing from a compounded semaglutide vial instead.
Last reviewed against the Ozempic prescribing information.
What is the Ozempic dose schedule?
An Ozempic pen holds several doses and uses a dial to select the labelled amount, so you are not drawing into a separate syringe. The label's titration starts low and increases roughly every four weeks.
Ozempic's top weekly dose differs from Wegovy's — the schedules are not interchangeable, so match the dose ladder to the product you actually have.
- Standard weekly steps: 0.25 → 0.5 → 1.0 → 2.0 mg
- 0.25 mg is a starting step for tolerability, not a maintenance dose
- Pens dial the dose — no reconstitution or unit math
How is a compounded semaglutide vial different from an Ozempic pen?
An Ozempic pen meters the dose internally; a compounded semaglutide vial does not. With a vial you reconstitute the powder (or use the supplied solution), then convert your target dose into a draw volume and syringe units yourself.
If you have a pen, you do not need the calculator. If you have a compounded vial dosed to a comparable schedule, the semaglutide calculator below turns each target into the exact units to draw.
- Pen = dialled dose, no math
- Compounded vial = you calculate the draw and units
- Confirm which product you have before matching a dose ladder
Ozempic calculator: compounded semaglutide units for each dose step
The Ozempic pen dials the dose for you, so an “Ozempic calculator” is really a compounded semaglutide calculator: units = dose (mg) ÷ concentration (mg/mL) × 100 on a U-100 syringe.
At 2.5 mg/mL (a 5 mg vial mixed with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water), each Ozempic step works out as below. Run your own vial in the calculator above if it differs.
- 0.25 mg = 0.1 mL = 10 units
- 0.5 mg = 0.2 mL = 20 units
- 1.0 mg = 0.4 mL = 40 units
- 2.0 mg = 0.8 mL = 80 units
Compounded semaglutide reference
U-100 units to draw for each common Semaglutide dose, by vial size, reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water. Change the water volume in the calculator above to recompute for your own setup.
| Vial | Concentration | 250 mcg | 500 mcg | 1 mg | 1.7 mg | 2.4 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | 1.25 mg/mL | 20 u(0.2 mL) | 40 u(0.4 mL) | 80 u(0.8 mL) | 136 u(1.36 mL) | 192 u(1.92 mL) |
| 5 mg | 2.5 mg/mL | 10 u(0.1 mL) | 20 u(0.2 mL) | 40 u(0.4 mL) | 68 u(0.68 mL) | 96 u(0.96 mL) |
| 10 mg | 5 mg/mL | 5 u(0.05 mL) | 10 u(0.1 mL) | 20 u(0.2 mL) | 34 u(0.34 mL) | 48 u(0.48 mL) |
Swipe the table to see every dose →
Educational reference only — not a dose recommendation. Units assume a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL on U-100). Always confirm against your own vial, diluent, and clinician or pharmacy instructions.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a calculator for Ozempic?
What are the Ozempic dose steps?
Is Ozempic dosing the same as Wegovy?
How many units is the first Ozempic dose from a compounded vial?
Primary sources
The Ozempic label for the pen dose schedule, and the FDA's warning on dosing errors with compounded GLP-1 vials. PepSync makes no clinical claims.