The British Columbia government says there's been a 99 per cent drop in the number of online Ozempic prescriptions filled by Americans from pharmacies in that province since it introduced regulations to protect the local supply for diabetes patients.Joe O'Connal/The Canadian Press
British Columbia’s recent move to restrict the sale of a popular treatment for diabetes and obesity has resulted in a 99.1-per-cent reduction in the number of U.S. residents filling prescriptions for the drug through online and mail-order pharmacies in the province.
The B.C. government adopted the restrictions in April, after a huge surge in individuals outside of the province filling prescriptions for semaglutide, better known by one of its brand names, Ozempic. From Jan. 1 to April 19, when the rules took effect, 30,700 Ozempic prescriptions were dispensed from B.C. pharmacies to people with U.S. addresses. From April 20 to May 31, there were just 111 such dispenses from B.C. pharmacies, according to a news release issued by the province on Friday.
Provincial data shows that most of the Ozempic prescriptions dispensed to U.S. residents before April 20 came from a single practitioner who was licensed to practise in Nova Scotia. A subsequent investigation revealed the physician was living in the U.S., but wrote thousands of prescriptions that were dispensed from two online B.C. pharmacies.
Nova Scotia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons has since suspended the physician, who has not practised in the province for years. An investigation into the pharmacies continues.
Ozempic, approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is also effective at helping people lose weight, making it one of the world’s most highly sought-after drugs. As a result, it’s in shortage in many areas. The drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, has developed a similar drug approved for the treatment of obesity, but overwhelming demand and manufacturing issues have delayed Wegovy’s introduction to Canada indefinitely.
The new rules allow B.C. residents and other Canadian citizens, as well as permanent residents, to purchase Ozempic in person and online at pharmacies throughout the province, while others are only able to purchase the drug in person.
According to the B.C. news release, there is no shortage of Ozempic in the province or throughout Canada. But many clinicians say that it’s difficult for people living with obesity to obtain the drug because it’s only approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. That could change once Wegovy finally arrives in Canada, but there are concerns about equitable access to the treatments, given the stigmatization of obesity and lack of insurance coverage for many obesity-related treatments.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article reported a 99.6-per-cent reduction in the number of U.S. residents filling prescriptions for semaglutide through online and mail-order pharmacies in B.C. After revisiting the math, the B.C. Ministry of Health has updated that figure to 99.1 per cent. This version of the article has been updated accordingly.
Carly Weeks