The B.C. government is taking steps to ensure diabetes patients in the province continue to have access to the drug semaglutide, better known as Ozempic.
The drug has surged in popularity due to one of the major side effects – weight loss.
To date, B.C. has not experienced any shortages of the drug, but the government said Tuesday that PharmaNet data indicates that an unusually high percentage of the dispenses of Ozempic are being purchased by U.S. patients from B.C. pharmacies.
The government said in January and February, 15 per cent or 15,798 of Ozempic dispenses in B.C. were sold to U.S. residents.
“U.S. residents made up 19 per cent or 12,816 of all patients who were dispensed the drug by a pharmacy in the province. The average of other drugs sold to Americans is 0.4 per cent,” according to a release.
“The purpose of procuring the drug Ozempic for British Columbia is not to turn around and export it to Americans. It is to make sure patients in British Columbia and Canada requiring the drug to treat their Type 2 diabetes can continue to access it,” Adrian Dix, Minister of Health said in a statement.
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“For this reason, we are taking action to ensure Type 2 diabetes patients maintain access to Ozempic.”
In situations where there are potential supply issues of Ozempic, the government said it will put restrictions on sales or dispensing to non-Canadian residents.
Currently, pharmacies in B.C. can fill prescriptions for patients written by U.S. doctors if they are co-signed by a Canadian practitioner, according to the province.
Numbers obtained by the government indicate that two B.C. pharmacies were responsible for 13,197 of the 15,798 Ozempic dispenses to U.S. residents, or around 88 per cent.
Of these prescriptions, 95 per cent were written by one or more prescribers who identified themselves as a practitioner from Nova Scotia, the province said.
“The number of prescriptions emanating from one or more practitioners in Nova Scotia is concerning,” Dix said. “As a direct result of the review of PharmaNet data, I am writing to all provincial and territorial health ministers in Canada, as well as the Minister of Health for Canada, Jean-Yves Duclos, to review and take appropriate actions.”
Ozempic has gained notoriety in recent months since celebrities began singing the drug’s praises and many people have posted success stories in weight loss they attribute to the drug.