B.C. restricts sale of Ozempic after prescription scheme drives surge in demand from U.S.

British Columbia is introducing a new regulation to stop online and mail-order sales of diabetes drug Ozempic to people who do not live in Canada or who are not in B.C. to make the purchase in person.

The changes come after it was discovered a doctor in Texas with a Nova Scotia medical licence wrote 17,000 Ozempic prescriptions in three months to mostly American patients. The majority of those prescriptions were filled at two B.C. online pharmacies where the drug costs much less.

Ozempic is an injectable medication for Type-2 diabetes that has become wildly popular through advertising and social media influencers as an off-label weight loss drug. On TikTok, #Ozempic has reached over 850 million views.  

"We do not bring drugs into B.C. to have them re-exported to the United States in response to whatever advertising campaigns are in place or word-of-mouth discussions," said Health Minister Adrian Dix. "The purpose of this regulation is to protect supply and access to semaglutide drugs that treat Type-2 diabetes."

B.C. does not have a shortage of Ozempic, said Dix, but the surge in sales to U.S. residents was leading to shortages in other jurisdictions. Ozempic purchased in B.C. is significantly less expensive than buying it south of the border. 

Cheaper in B.C.

According to figures provided by the Ministry of Health, the average cost of Ozempic for someone in B.C. is approximately $300 per month. That compares to reported prices in the U.S. ranging from $900-$1200 US (approximately $1,200 to $1,600 Cdn) depending on dose, said the ministry.

Dix said the difference in cost is due to Canada's public health care and B.C.'s negotiated bulk buy purchasing.

The regulations announced Wednesday are effective immediately and will also restrict the sales of other semaglutide drugs, Rybelsus and Wegovy. 

Dix said other drugs can be added to the restricted sales list if needed but is calling for federal action on the issue of Americans turning to Canada for cheaper prescription drugs so it doesn't turn into what he described as a  "whack-a-mole situation."

"This is about the international trade of products that are of essential need in Canada. There is a significant federal role here, and I have written to my colleagues, including the federal minister of health, to ask us to take joint action," he said.

B.C.'s PharmaNet system, which tracks dispensed drugs provincewide, registered 13,179 Ozempic dispenses from two online pharmacies based in B.C. in January and February of this year, a full 88 per cent of all of the drug dispensed to people south of the border during that period. 

Although dispensing to foreigners is not illegal, the B.C. College of Pharmacists has launched an investigation, said Dix.

Nova Scotia-registered Dr. David Davidson had his licence suspended on an interim basis by that province's regulator last month. Davidson is alleged to have written 3,860 Ozempic prescriptions in December 2022, 5,800 in January 2023, and 7,500 in February 2023.