N.S. regulator gathers info on Ozempic prescriptions written to U.S. patients
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
“We’re looking to gather information right now,” said Dr. Gus Grant, Registrar and CEO of College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia. “Once the information is at hand, we will examine it and determine if next steps are required.”
On Tuesday, B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix announced his province would become the first in Canada to restrict the drug to non-Canadians.
“For the month of January and February, 15 per cent or 15,798 of all the Ozempic dispenses in British Columbia were sold to U.S. residents,” said Dix.
According to that province, almost all of the U.S.-bound prescriptions were shipped from two Vancouver-area pharmacies and the vast majority were signed off by one practitioner in Nova Scotia.
Ozempic is the brand name of an injectable drug called semaglutide. It was developed for people with Type II diabetes and obesity, but many believe the drug’s weight loss side effects have been hyped up by advertising and celebrities.
“This medication has been hijacked from the researchers like us who’ve been working with it for 20 years for disease. It’s been hijacked by people who are trying to lose a small amount of weight,” Dr. Sean Wharton, an Internal Medicine Specialist in Toronto, told CTV News Tuesday.
Halifax-area pharmacy owner and pharmacist Jamie Flynn has noticed its growth in popularity.
“I have seen more people taking it over the last six months to a year,” Flynn said.
But unlike at some Vancouver-area pharmacies, at Flynn’s pharmacy, there was never a concern about a shortage.
Martha Lowe, Communications Manager of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, said the organization is not aware of any current shortage of Ozempic.
“There was a recent temporary shortage that was resolved and we have not received any local concerns,” said Lowe.
The Registrar and CEO of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia said interprovincial prescribing has long been a part of medical practice and pharmacists can use their expertise to judge if prescriptions are appropriate.
He adds the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia is responsible for making sure doctors licensed in Nova Scotia are practising safely and competently.
“Once details are known to us of the physician or physicians involved, we will investigate as we normally do to determine whether the care provided by these physicians or physician was appropriate and safe,” said Dr. Grant.
With files from Canadian Press and CTV Vancouver
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.