"Pharmatourism" to obtain Ozempic: Bulgarians, Serbians, and Italians are already buying it in Greece

Monday, Dec 30, 2024

El Confidencial

Semaglutide drugs face global supply issues and misuse for weight loss, prompting regulatory responses across Europe.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are popular weight-loss medications, with Ozempic containing semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor analog originally developed for type 2 diabetes and associated obesity. Spanish health authorities have warned about off-label sales of Ozempic and monitored supply shortages. In 2023, drug supply issues increased significantly across Europe, with antidiabetics being among the most affected. This issue is not isolated; in Greece, widespread use by non-specialists led to fines, and patients from other countries travel there for lower prices. While some countries like Bulgaria manage high demand through state funding, medical experts caution against using Ozempic primarily for weight loss due to off-label overuse. Other nations, such as France and the Czech Republic, have restricted its use to diabetes treatment only. In Spain, authorities are implementing measures to prioritize correct prescribing for diabetes and promoting alternatives like Wegovy and Mounjaro to manage demand.

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