Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has issued the following statement on inter-provincial collaboration to prevent diabetes drug shortage:

“Today, the B.C. government has learned that the Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons has suspended the licence of a physician identified as having written thousands of prescriptions for Ozempic dispensed in British Columbia.

“The B.C. government appreciates the action being taken by the Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons and values the co-operation underway with the Nova Scotia Ministry of Health and Wellness. It is important to ensure prescribing Ozempic is happening within clinical practice requirements to prevent the very serious issue of diverting the B.C. and Canadian drug supply to the American market.

“We also appreciate the actions of the B.C. College of Pharmacists, which acted swiftly, informing its Nova Scotian colleagues about the very serious concerns surrounding the high number of Ozempic prescriptions emanating from that province.

“As announced on March 28, 2023, the B.C. government is amending regulations to limit the sale or dispensing of Ozempic to non-Canadian residents to protect the supply of this drug for residents of B.C. and Canada who need it.

“This decision was made on the basis of concerning information learned from a B.C. PharmaNet data review, indicating that an unusually high percentage of prescriptions for Ozempic were emanating from one or more practitioners in Nova Scotia, and that a very high percentage of these prescriptions was being dispensed by two internet pharmacies in British Columbia to American residents.”

Learn More:

To read the Province’s March 28, 2023, action to prevent Ozempic shortages, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0031-000398

Ozempic is approved as a second line therapy for Type 2 diabetes to help patients manage blood sugar levels when metaformin is not effective.
To learn more about Ozempic coverage in B.C., visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023HLTH0001-000004

B.C. PharmaCare provides limited coverage for Ozempic.
To learn more about BC PharmaCare, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents