MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -Novo Nordisk announced Monday that its daily oral Wegovy pill is available by prescription, offering consumers a new oral medication option for weight loss.<\/p>\n
The medication is part of the GLP-1 class of drugs that has gained popularity in recent years for weight management and other health benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think over the last couple of years it has definitely exploded,\u201d said Becky Berkan, a family nurse practitioner who prescribes GLP-1 medications from her medical spa.<\/p>\n
Berkan said the medication helps with more than just weight loss and can treat inflammatory diseases amoung other health concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are cardio protective people are getting off blood pressure pills, people are getting off their cholesterol meds,\u201d Berkan said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Lisa Netkowicz, an expert in medical weight management at UW-Health, said the new daily Wegovy pill is already proving effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are absolutely seeing success in the people who can take, who can obtain the medication, because of course insurance coverage and cost is a huge challenge,\u201d Netkowicz said.<\/p>\n
Cost and insurance barriers<\/p>\n
The average out of pocket cost can reach $1,000 a month. Unless patients have Type 2 diabetes, insurance will not cover the medication.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd so that has been a little bit of a fight where we will try to prescribe the medication and insurance will deny it,\u201d Netkowicz said.<\/p>\n
Berkan hopes the new form of the medication will help bring costs down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look at that in our injectable industry. There was just Botox and now there\u2019s four other, five other ones. So the price of this has to come down to compete with the other ones,\u201d Berkan said.<\/p>\n
Provider availability<\/p>\n
Berkan said there are enough providers in the Madison area prescribing GLP-1 medications safely.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of takes the burden off of the primary care physicians and practitioners,\u201d Berkan said.<\/p>\n
Netkowicz added that the field has grown rapidly since 2022-2023 when Ozempic gained popularity for weight loss use.<\/p>\n
Scam warnings<\/p>\n
As GLP-1 medications have gained attention, the Better Business Bureau says scammers are taking advantage of people trying to lose weight. Scammers are creating fake ads using AI-generated images and deepfake videos of celebrities and doctors to advertise fake GLP-1 medications.<\/p>\n
Consumers have reported losing hundreds of dollars on products that don\u2019t work or aren\u2019t what they claim to be. Victims have reported paying for products that never arrive or receiving unsafe and watered-down versions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, they\u2019re able to so easily capitalize on, you know, the public\u2019s familiarity with whatever\u2019s trending and whatever\u2019s popular at the time, such as these GLP drugs right now. Scammers are able to very easily, create websites, make them look legitimate,\u201d said Lisa Schiller, BBB spokesperson.<\/p>\n
The BBB advises consumers to be wary of fake online pharmacies advertising discounted GLP-1 medications. Scammers are also using fake texts, emails and phone calls claiming people are \u201celigible\u201d for prescriptions or demanding money to cancel fake subscriptions.<\/p>\n
Experts said it is important to consult with a provider before starting GLP-1 medication and to focus on other lifestyle changes like diet and exercise while taking the medication.<\/p>\n
The BBB says to always verify sources and be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true. People who encounter scams should report them to the BBB\u2019s online scam tracker.<\/p>\n