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GLP-1 receptor agonistFDA-approved December 2017 (Ozempic) · June 2021 (Wegovy)Rx · Subcutaneous injection (weekly) · oral tablet (daily) · Once weekly (injectable)

Semaglutide
(Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) in Bethesda, MD

Dr. Fahad Akhtar, M.D.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Fahad Akhtar, M.D.
Physician at g1v.me, an affiliated practice

Physicians near Bethesda, MD from the federal NPI registry. Ask each office whether it prescribes Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus.[9]

  • Ozempic: FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes.
  • Wegovy: FDA-approved for chronic weight management.
  • Rybelsus: FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes.
city providers
36
as of today

Same molecule (semaglutide): Ozempic in Bethesda, Wegovy in Bethesda

Other GLP-1 medicines: Tirzepatide in Bethesda, Mounjaro in Bethesda, Zepbound in Bethesda

§ 02Provider directory: Maryland
36 of 36 shown

Find a physician in Bethesda.

Every entry comes from the federal NPI registry. Ask each office what it prescribes. We do not accept payment for placement.

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Semaglutide by Maryland town, physicians per town
§ 03Getting Semaglutide in Bethesda
36 providers · Bethesda, MD

How to get Semaglutide in Bethesda.

36 GLP-1 prescribers and 7 local resource types are on record for Bethesda, plus 3 nearby towns in the directory.

Physicians in Bethesda
36 physicians
36 physicians from the federal NPI registry in Bethesda, most listed as Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism (13), Family Medicine (9) and Internal Medicine (9). A licensed clinician who evaluates you decides whether an FDA-approved GLP-1 fits. Telehealth rules vary by state. The nearest towns on record are North Bethesda (11 providers), Potomac (14 providers) and Silver Spring (32 providers).
Around the prescription in Bethesda
7 listed nearby
72 dietitians, 22 nutritionists, 6 gyms, 6 fitness clubs, 6 trainers, 6 physiotherapists and 6 places to move are on record near Bethesda.
Medicaid (weight loss)
Diabetes only
As of April 2026, Maryland Medicaid covers GLP-1s for diabetes but not for weight loss. Employer and private plans can still cover them; that is a plan-design choice, not a state rule.

Medicaid status above is for weight-loss use and was compiled April 2026 from KFF and public Medicaid trackers; only 13 states cover it and several are mid-change, so confirm Maryland’s current Medicaid and plan rules before booking. GLPHelper provides information and provider matching, not medical or coverage advice.

§ 04Medication factsheet
cited · last review 2026.05.19

The molecule in Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy. The brands differ in approved use and maximum dose.

Semaglutide is a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist sold under three brand names by Novo Nordisk: Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy for chronic weight management. It mimics a gut hormone that signals satiety to the brain and slows gastric emptying. The injectable forms share the same molecule; only the approved indication and maximum dose differ.[2][3]

In the STEP-1 obesity trial, adults without diabetes taking Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) lost a mean of 14.9% of body weight at 68 weeks versus 2.4% with placebo. In the SELECT trial, semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease but without diabetes.[1]

Bar chart of Semaglutide dose strengths on the FDA label: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD)
Semaglutide comes in 6 strengths: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg, 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD). The chart shows what the label lists. A prescriber sets the dose.[1]
At a glanceMultiple (brand-specific)
Active ingredient
semaglutide
Drug class
GLP-1 receptor agonist
Manufacturer
Novo Nordisk
FDA approved
December 2017 (Ozempic) · June 2021 (Wegovy)
Approved use
Type 2 diabetes (Ozempic/Rybelsus) · chronic weight management (Wegovy)
Off-label use
Use outside the approved brand/indication is off-label
Administration
Subcutaneous injection (weekly) · oral tablet (daily) · Once weekly (injectable)
Available doses
0.25 mg · 0.5 mg · 1 mg · 1.7 mg · 2.4 mg · 7.2 mg (Wegovy HD)
Half-life
≈ 7 days
Pregnancy
Discontinue ≥ 2 months before a planned pregnancy

Community health · CDC

Weight & metabolic health in Bethesda

Bethesda, Maryland has a population of 68,056 people. The adult obesity rate in Bethesda is an age-adjusted estimate of 22.1%, 10.6 percentage points below the Maryland state rate of 32.7%. Diagnosed diabetes reaches 6.5% of adults in Bethesda. Inactivity, meaning no leisure-time physical activity reported in the past month, affects 12.2% of adults in Bethesda.

of Bethesda adults have obesity
22.1%
diagnosed diabetes
6.5%
no regular physical activity
12.2%

Age-adjusted estimates for Bethesda, community figures, not individual risk. CDC PLACES, 2025 release.

Estimate your weight lossoral and sublingual GLP-1 options
§ 05Support around Semaglutide in Bethesda
6 gyms

The prescription is one part. Here is the rest, in Bethesda.

Trials of semaglutide paired the drug with diet counseling and regular activity. Every name below is a real listing near Bethesda, MD, ordered as the registry lists them, never by who pays us.

Gyms near you

A gym gives you the regular movement that keeps muscle while the weight comes off.

Onelife Fitness - Bethesda
GYM
4.1 on Google · 343 reviews
4400 Montgomery Ave
Website
The St. James Performance Club
GYM
4.5 on Google · 133 reviews
6828 Wisconsin Ave
Website
Equinox Bethesda
GYM
3.6 on Google · 132 reviews
4905 Elm St
Website
MWR Fitness Center
GYM
4.4 on Google · 121 reviews
Building 17 Taylor Rd, E Rixey Rd
Website
Fitness Together
GYM
5.0 on Google · 84 reviews
6708 Wisconsin Ave Suite 301
Website
Orangetheory Fitness
GYM
4.6 on Google · 65 reviews
7955 Woodmont Ave
Website

Fitness clubs and recreation centers

Fitness clubs and recreation centers run classes and pools, an easier start than a weight room.

Training Ground
FITNESS
5.0 on Google · 147 reviews
4940 Hampden Ln #200
Website
HOTWORX - Bethesda, MD - Woodmont Triangle
FITNESS
4.8 on Google · 138 reviews
4830 Rugby Ave
Website
Crossfit Bethesda
FITNESS
4.9 on Google · 76 reviews
4848 Cordell Ave
Website
Chevy Chase Athletic Club
FITNESS
3.3 on Google · 46 reviews
5454 Wisconsin Ave PH
Website
Barry's Bethesda
FITNESS
5.0 on Google · 9 reviews
7274 Wisconsin Ave
Website
Ultimate Performance
TRAINING
5.0 on Google · 151 reviews
7400 Wisconsin Ave
Website
§ 06Clinical evidence
STEP 1 to 4 + SELECT (N = 17,604)

What the trials actually showed.

We summarize the STEP weight-management program, the SUSTAIN diabetes program, and the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial. Figures are means at each trial's primary endpoint.

STEP-1 randomized 1,961 adults with overweight or obesity (without diabetes) to semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo for 68 weeks. Mean weight change was −14.9% with semaglutide versus −2.4% with placebo; 86% of treated patients lost ≥5% of body weight.[2]
STEP / SELECT endpoint table2.4 mg / 68 wk
Mean weight change (Wegovy 2.4 mg)
−14.9%
STEP-1, 68 wk vs −2.4% placebo[2]
Patients losing ≥5% body weight
86%
STEP-1, 2.4 mg[2]
Major adverse cardiac events
−20%
SELECT, HR 0.80[3]
HbA1c reduction (T2D)
−1.4 to −1.8%
SUSTAIN program[4]
Effect size varies with baseline characteristics and adherence. Individual response may differ materially.
average semaglutide weight loss →mapped to your starting weight
§ 07Safety & adverse events
from FDA label, sect. 6.1

Most Semaglutide side effects are stomach and gut effects.

In Wegovy's weight trials at 2.4 mg, the most common side effects were nausea (44%), diarrhea (30%), vomiting (24%), and constipation (24%). Ozempic's lower diabetes doses showed lower rates.[1] Serious events were rare but include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and an FDA boxed warning regarding thyroid C-cell tumors based on rodent data.[1]

Boxed warning. Boxed warning: risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. Contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN-2).
Effect
Frequency
Severity
Note
Nausea
15.8 to 44%
mild
Lowest on Ozempic 0.5 mg, highest on Wegovy 2.4 mg
Diarrhea
8.5 to 30%
mild
More frequent during dose escalation
Vomiting
5 to 24%
mild
Reduced by slower titration
Constipation
3.1 to 24%
mild
Abdominal pain
5.7 to 20%
moderate
Pancreatitis
<0.3%
serious
Discontinue if acute pancreatitis is suspected
Gallbladder disease
0.4 to 2.5%
serious
Gallstones. Lowest on Ozempic 1 mg, highest on Wegovy tablets. Risk rises with rapid weight loss
Thyroid C-cell tumors
rodent data
boxed warning
Contraindicated with MTC or MEN-2 history
§ 08Cost & coverage, published, not gated
USD · monthly

What Semaglutide costs, by how you pay.

The price you pay depends on your insurance plan, your diagnosis, and how you buy. Manufacturer self-pay programs cost far less than pharmacy retail. Here are the ranges.

Data sources: GoodRx national retail survey[6], CMS Part D formulary files[5], Novo Nordisk self-pay and savings pages.

Self-pay and savings card prices checked . Retail averages from May 2026.

Semaglutide monthly cost by how you pay
Wegovy, pharmacy retail$1,610 to $1,788per monthBrand-name retail average, May 2026[6]
Wegovy, NovoCare self-pay$349 to $399per monthPen $349, Wegovy HD 7.2 mg $399. Pill $149 to $299
Ozempic, pharmacy retail$1,476per monthBrand-name retail average, May 2026[6]
Commercial insurance (T2D)$25 to $250per month copayUsually covered for diabetes with prior authorization
Commercial insurance (weight)Often deniedWegovy is on-label but frequently requires PA and is denied
Medicare Part D$0 to $100per monthType 2 diabetes covered. Wegovy for weight management is $50 a month through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, Jul 2026 to Dec 2027[5]
Manufacturer savings cardas low as $25per monthOzempic and Wegovy cards, commercial insurance only, up to $100 a month in savings
Find Semaglutide providers in Bethesda

Physicians from the federal NPI registry. Ask each office whether it prescribes Semaglutide.

Semaglutide in other states

Physicians from the federal NPI registry in the states we cover. Ask each office whether it prescribes Semaglutide.

Related GLP-1 research
§ 09Frequently asked: Semaglutide in Maryland

The questions people ask before they book.

Answers reviewed by the glp·helper Medical Team. Citations link to primary sources, never marketing copy.

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in three Novo Nordisk brands: Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. No generic semaglutide is FDA-approved in the US. Ozempic and Rybelsus are approved for type 2 diabetes; Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management at a higher maximum dose (7.2 mg/week, Wegovy HD). Insurers treat the brands as separate drugs.[1]