Provincial data shows pharmacare claims for Ozempic have increased in Manitoba over the past 4 years

Generic versions of the weight-loss drug Ozempic are expected to hit the Canadian market this year, with provincial data showing that the number of drug dispensed from pharmacies in Manitoba has more than quadrupled over the past four years.

“I was really surprised about the numbers. These numbers are much bigger than I expected,” said Vernon Dolinsky, a diabetes researcher at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

Introduced in 2018, Ozempic is a brand name drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and as an anti-obesity drug.

The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide – part of a class of medicines known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, which Control blood sugar levels and appetite.

The number of Ozempic claims covered by Manitoba’s Pharmacare program increased from 17,644 during fiscal year 2021-22 to 88,367 in 2024-25, according to provincial data.

“I’m hopeful that as more of these drugs come off patent, we’ll see more people want to start taking them,” Dolinsky said.

• Do you use Ozempic or another weight loss drug and want to share your story? Send your suggestions here items@godfear.in,

Novo Nordisk, the company that makes Ozempic, also has two other brand-name drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity: Ribelsus and Vegovy.

As of this week, Novo Nordisk has lost its market exclusivity on semaglutide drugs in the Canadian market, opening the door for generic versions. Canada is the only country where the company allowed the patent on its semaglutide drugs to expire, paving the way for “regulatory exclusivity” to expire on January 4.

“These drugs work (for both diabetes and weight loss). This is very positive for people because it will improve their health,” Dolinsky said.

“On the other hand, we still don’t have a very good understanding of what the long-term effects of these drugs are.”

Ozempic benefits Exception drug status under Manitoba’s Pharmacare program in 2021, meaning it is a drug recommended for coverage by the Manitoba Drug Standards and Therapeutics Committee.

For now, only people prescribed Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes are eligible to have the cost covered under PharmaCare in Manitoba. The rest either pay out of pocket or rely on private insurance.

“I suspect there are a lot of people who don’t rely on the provincial formulary to pay for their medications,” said Britt Kural, pharmacy practice advisor for Pharmacists Manitoba.

“You’ll have to try at least two other medications in combination with diet and exercise, and you won’t be able to reach your goals or your goals for managing type 2 diabetes before the province pays for that medication,” Kural said.

Because Health Canada recommends prescribing Ozempic only for patients with type 2 diabetes, many insurance companies like canada life And manulifeIf the drug is not specifically prescribed for that treatment, the cost is generally not covered.

Ozempic users say it’s worth the cost

Luckily for Winnipeg’s Hartley Macklin — who was pre-diabetic when he was prescribed the weight-loss drug — his private insurance covered about 80 percent of the drug’s cost. He pays the remaining 20 percent from his own pocket.

He acknowledges that the expense may be a barrier for many, but says the benefits outweigh the costs.

“When you take into account the other costs of being obese — food, McDonald’s, Burger King, whatever — suddenly that cost (of Ozempic) becomes much less,” Macklin said.

A month’s supply of Ozempic typically costs more than $200. For Wegovi — a drug brand aimed specifically at managing weight loss — it’s more than $400.

Despite the high cost, Macklin wasn’t surprised to hear that more people in Manitoba are using it.

Since he started taking Ozempic in 2018, he has lost between 70 and 80 pounds.

“It has a huge impact on your lifestyle and what you can do, and travel, and driving somewhere,” Macklin said. “Cars aren’t made for 320-pound people.”

according to canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice GuidelinesObesity is defined as a chronic disease.

Macklin says obese people have a disconnect between their gut and brain , When the stomach is saying it is full, the brain is not getting the message. Ozempic, which suppresses appetiteIt helps to cope, he said.

,Before Ozempic, everything looked great – it’s colourful, it’s rising, it’s wonderful, it’s striking every light in my appetite,” he said.

“Now, there are times when I just look at the menu or look in my refrigerator, (and) can’t decide what to eat because I don’t feel hungry.”

‘Weight gain back’ a matter of concern: Researchers

The Kural says that while Studies have shown that Ozempic may help with weight loss.People should consider whether this is right for them.

“I think the important thing to remember with Ozempic is that it’s not just used for weight loss for people who don’t have significant weight to lose,” Kural said.

Natalie Ridiger, associate professor in the Department of Food and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Manitoba, is studying how the marketing of drugs like Ozempic contributes to the general pressure that people, especially women, feel to lose weight.

“I would say there has been some progress in recent years regarding body acceptance or body positivity,” she said.

But “now we’ve experienced a bit of a pushback, and that’s partly due to these drugs and especially the marketing around them that targets weight loss.”

Another concern of hers is the notion of weight cycling, or “yo-yo dieting” – when people lose and then regain significant amounts of weight in a short period of time.

weight cycling has been associated There is an increased risk of developing adverse health effects such as chronic inflammation, cardiovascular problems, blood sugar disorders and diabetes.

“We know that with these drugs like Ozempic, a lot of people don’t stay on them, and when they don’t stay on them, they regain the weight they lost,” Ridiger said.

The most common reason people don’t stay on Ozempic long-term is because it has serious side effects, which often include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain, Dolinsky said.

Macklin said any side effects he experienced were very mild, but he has heard from many people who have struggled with them.

However, Dolinsky’s main concern is muscle loss. Because people use the medicine for general weight loss.

“Essentially, if your muscle mass decreases and you stop taking the drug, it’s more likely that your weight will increase significantly more as a result,” resulting in a kind of “rebound weight gain,” Dolinsky said.

“Muscles are important for many other things,” he said, “especially as people age.” “It also keeps bones healthy, so maintaining your muscle mass is really important.”

Kural said anyone using Ozempic should “also think about how they’re eating, how they’re exercising, and making sure they’re maintaining their strong muscles as well.”

Managing the side effects of Ozempic and other drugs like it can be a process, he said.

“Sometimes it can take weeks to months to identify what works best for you, what dosage works best for you and where the side effects and tolerances for those side effects lie,” he said.

Macklin hopes that governments across Canada will recognize the potential benefits to the health care system from obesity reduction.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a pill form of Wegovi. The pill is being reviewed by Health Canada.

“Canadian governments have not yet bought into the idea that with increased use there will be fewer heart attacks and fewer problems, less falls, less everything else,” Macklin said.

“If they can keep people a little more fit they will save money in the long run.”