A woman is accused of defrauding the healthcare system for 331,763 Danish kroner (approximately $47,000) in prescription subsidies and reselling the popular diabetes medication Ozempic. This has led to a potential prison sentence of six to eight months. Special Prosecutor Christina Walbom argued in the Glostrup Court that the woman unlawfully obtained a large quantity of the medication in 2023, which she either sold or transferred to others.
The Capital Region of Denmark raised concerns when they noticed the woman’s frequent prescriptions, starting in March 2023 and increasing over time. The region contacted both the woman’s doctor and the police, suspicious of the significant demand for Ozempic, which, in addition to its primary function as a diabetes treatment, also has weight-loss effects. This weight-loss property is believed to have contributed to the emergence of a black market for the drug.
According to the prosecution, the woman’s explanation of using Ozempic for personal consumption does not align with the substantial amounts she has received. Despite weighing around 130 kilograms (approximately 287 pounds) at her diabetes diagnosis in 2020 and experiencing significant weight loss and increased energy from the medication, the quantity of Ozempic obtained is unusually large. The prosecutor points out that the woman collected the medication a total of 165 times in 2023, which equates to eight years’ worth of usage—an amount that is difficult to justify solely on the basis of personal overconsumption.
Defense attorney Michael Henrik Axel Harms dismisses the charges and demands acquittal for his client, asserting that there is insufficient evidence for resale. He emphasizes that only message correspondences with two friends have been presented in court, and evidence for sales to others is absent. Harms further claims that it is not illegal to overconsume prescription medication and advocates for the woman to receive at most a conditional sentence if found guilty.
A verdict in the case is expected to be delivered on August 21.