The Institute of Public Health (ISP) has issued an alert for the increase in misuse of a drug for diabetics called Ozempic.
Despite the fact that this drug is used to treat type 2 diabetes, it has gained popularity on social networks such as TikTok, where users use it with the aim of losing weight.
The director(s) of the ISP, heriberto garciahas explained that semaglutide, the active principle of Ozempicchanges the metabolic system and may have important side effects in people who do not have diabetes.
Adverse effects include gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, as well as acute pancreatitis, hypoglycemia, increased heart rate, and complications of diabetic retinopathy.
The ISP has called on the public not to use this medication to lose weight, since the only indication approved in Chile for Ozempic is as monotherapy for patients with diabetes.
In addition, pharmacies have been asked to perform dispensing validation for ensure supply of patients who require treatmentsince they have been detected sales of prescriptions in social networks without clinical evaluation.
