Category: GLP-1 Agonist Medications

Weight loss medications, structured diet plans, and lifestyle programs are helping more Canadians reduce excess weight than ever before. Newer options — including GLP-1 medications — have changed how obesity and metabolic health are managed. But there is an important clinical detail many people don’t realize:

With growing public interest in GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic®, Rybelsus®, Wegovy®) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro®, Zepbound®) for diabetes management and weight loss, Canadians are increasingly encountering these products through online sellers, social media ads, and unauthorized retailers.

Unfortunately, not all GLP-1 products being sold in Canada are legitimate or safe.

Recent announcements from U.S. regulators have brought important clarity to patients using — or considering — popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Wegovy, Saxenda, and Zepbound.

GLP-1 receptor agonists—such as Ozempic (semaglutide) and tirzepatide—represent a true therapeutic breakthrough in the fight against obesity and type 2 diabetes. Their benefits, including significant weight loss and protection against comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, are well-documented. However, as independent data from studies in the US and Canada shows, the biggest challenge lies not in the drug’s effectiveness, but in patient adherence.

In Parts 1–3 of our series, we explored:

1. What patient steering is and how insurers use PPNs to direct prescriptions.
2. How it affects GLP-1 patients, delaying care and fragmenting treatment.
3. Why this is part of a wider pattern of insurer overreach threatening independent pharmacy care.

Now, it’s time to talk about action — what patients, providers, and policymakers can do to protect your right to choose your pharmacy.

In Part 1 of our series, we explained the concept of patient steering through Preferred Provider Networks (PPNs). In Part 2, we showed how this behaviour directly harms patients prescribed GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy.

But here’s the bigger truth:

In Part 1 of our series, we explained how insurers are limiting pharmacy choice through patient steering. Now, let’s look at a real-world example: patients prescribed GLP-1 medications (such as Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro) for diabetes or weight management.

In recent months, insurers have been pushing harder to limit where patients can fill their prescriptions. This tactic is called “patient steering” — when an insurance company directs you toward a specific pharmacy or a Preferred Provider Network (PPN), often owned or partnered with the insurer itself.

At first glance, this may sound harmless. But here’s the problem:

World Diabetes Day is more than an awareness date—it is a reminder of one of the world’s fastest-growing chronic diseases. Over the past 50 years, diabetes has quadrupled globally and more than doubled in Canada. Today, it affects millions worldwide and over 3.7 million Canadians, with a far greater number experiencing prediabetes or going undiagnosed.

At Centrum Pharmacy, our pharmacists play a critical frontline role in supporting prevention, early detection, and long-term management—helping our community live healthier, longer lives.