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Semaglutide

Asked by Gregory StaffordConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 18 March 2025UIN 37512

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the total cost to the public purse was of prescribing Ozempic to NHS patients without a diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease in 2024-25.

Answered by Karin Smyth

Information is not collected on the clinical condition a medicine is prescribed for. Ozempic is only licenced for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and guidance is clear that medications licensed to treat type 2 diabetes should not be prescribed for weight loss. The General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards in relation to these medicines.

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