One Ozempic and Wegovy mistake is sending thousands to poison control
Thousands of Ozempic and Wegovy users are contacting poison control after a common dosing mistake. Learn the common error, warning signs and prevention.
With the popularity of the semaglutide drug such as Ozempic and Wegovy surging there has been a corresponding rise in calls to poison control centres in the United States. Studies suggest many of these were associated with preventable dosing errors underscoring the need for improved patient education as the weight-loss drugs become more popular.
Semaglutide is a medication from a class of drugs referred to as Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs) which was initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes. Its effectiveness in chronic weight management was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021 but researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) saw another troubling trend occurring concurrently with its success.
Method of the study
Jordan Miller, an undergraduate student under the guidance of David Han, Romo Endowed Professor in the Department of Statistics & Data Science at UTSA collaborated with experts at the Long School of Medicine to analyze national poison control data. The team examined whether the increased number of poison control calls was directly related to the FDA's expanded approval of semaglutide for weight management. The results were published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology and also featured on the front page of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and American Statistical Association (ASA) flagship magazine Significance.
What did the study find?
Poison control centres in the US have handled around 1,000 to 1,500 cases connected to GLP-1RAs every year before 2021. Ever since there has been almost a doubling of the number of calls related to GLP-1RA medications received by the poison centres with over 8,000 calls being received by the end of 2023.
Study authors concluded that the increase was almost entirely due to semaglutide. Jordan Miller said, "In that figure that tracks the increase by specific drug. I wasn't expecting semaglutide to be so incredibly dominant. I figured that it would lead the pack but it was staggering. On the other hand it makes sense with all the media attention."
Common medication errors.
Semaglutide is intended to be given once a week and should be given at a lower dose which is then raised as time passes. But many patients wrongly used the medicine daily and some initiated the treatment with the highest dose.
Jordan Miller said, "Can you imagine something you're supposed to trickle up to, and you're going full blast and seven times more often than you're supposed to?" David Han added that the results reflect the wider public health effects of these drugs and stressed the need for people to be educated on how to take and what risks to look out for with these medications.
The scientists found that numerous cases of poisoning attributed to Ozempic and Wegovy might have been avoidable if they had been provided with more astute advice by health care providers and pharmacists. Researchers said the new applications of semaglutide in treating obesity besides diabetes are important for the public to be educated about these new uses. The results highlight that there are benefits that can be gained from these weight-loss drugs but that the drugs can also have significant health consequences when used incorrectly.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Always use medications as prescribed and consult your healthcare provider with any concerns.
