The loophole that lets people pay for Ozempic (and other) prescriptions
Posted January 9, 2024 7:12 am.
In today’s Big Story Podcast, you’re not supposed to be paying to be prescribed drugs in Canada. You’re also not generally supposed to get those prescriptions without being examined and, you know, speaking to a real live human being. But a recent investigation found that it’s possible to be prescribed the country’s hottest drug, which is currently facing a shortage, by using an online portal and paying $99.
Morgan Bocknek, is an investigative reporter at The Toronto Star who demonstrated the troubling ease with which some patients could obtain Ozempic in Ontario. She says many health care experts found the results of her investigation troubling.
“You have to see and visualize the actual person you’re talking to who needs a medication, especially with something so serious as a type 2 diabetes medication that’s being prescribed off-label,” says Bocknek.
Where did this loophole come from? Why do government regulations allow this? And what does this kind of process say about our current system as a whole, and the future of for-profit health care in Canada?
You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify. You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.
