Abstract

JOAO, Sara; MELICIA, André  and  LEITE, Raquel Baptista. Diabetic patient without semaglutide: what are the implications?. Rev Port Med Geral Fam [online]. 2024, vol.40, n.2, pp.192-196.  Epub Apr 30, 2024. ISSN 2182-5173.  https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v40i2.13744.

A problem with the supply of the medicine Ozempic® (semaglutide) was recently reported, which affects several countries, including Portugal. This drug, a glucagon-like peptide 1 analogue, is approved for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus not satisfactorily controlled, being partially reimbursed only for patients who also have a body mass index equal to, or greater than, 35 kg/m2. The drug stock-out seems to have been due to its off-label prescription, carried out with the aim of weight loss in overweight or obese people, but not in diabetic patients. The off-label use of semaglutide in Portugal raises ethical and economic problems. Despite the efforts that have been made to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obese people in our country, namely through the creation of health programs, we consider that there is still significant room for improvement in the field of preventive medicine.

Keywords : Semaglutide; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Obesity; Overweight; Ethics; Economics.

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