2021 to 2023 Saw Considerable Increase in Semaglutide Fills

MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- From 2021 through 2023, there was a considerable increase in the number of semaglutide fills, according to a research letter published online Aug. 2 in JAMA Health Forum.

Christopher Scannell, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues analyzed trends in prescriptions dispensed at retail pharmacies for semaglutide between January 2021 and December 2023. Monthly fills were calculated for semaglutide by drug brand (Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus) and payment method.

The researchers observed a 442 percent increase in the number of semaglutide fills between January 2021 and December 2023; Ozempic accounted for more than 70 percent of these fills. Increases were seen for all three drug brands, with variation in the extent and timing of these increases. Ozempic increased 392 percent between January 2021 and December 2023, peaking in August 2023 before reaching a plateau; notable increases in Wegovy fills started in January 2023, peaked in May 2023, then plateaued, with an increase of more than 1,361 percent seen between July 2021 and December 2023. For all three drug brands, increases in monthly semaglutide fills were seen across all payment methods between 2021 and 2023, with most fills accounted for by prescriptions paid through commercial insurance.

"The number of prescriptions filled for semaglutide has increased substantially, reaching 2.6 million prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies by December 2023," the authors write. "Future research should examine how changes in Medicare Part D and Medicaid coverage restrictions influence disparities in access to these essential medications."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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