The Danish Health Authority has issued a warning to the country’s doctors to be particularly vigilant when patients are collecting unusually large quantities of the diabetes medication Ozempic. The warning comes in response to inquiries from various regions, which have observed some patients picking up medication equivalent to several years’ worth of supply. There is a suspicion that this behavior may indicate that the medication is being passed on or sold, which is illegal.
Ozempic, developed by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, is primarily intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In recent years, it has also become popular for its weight loss effects. This is because Ozempic, like the weight loss drug Wegovy, contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which has been shown to be effective for weight loss.
A study from Aarhus University and the University of Southern Denmark has further revealed that one-third of Danes who started Ozempic in 2022 did not have diabetes. This highlights the increasing use of the medication for weight loss purposes, which may be a contributing factor to the suspicious behavior that is now prompting the authority to sound the alarm.