Adherence
Anti-obesity medications (AOMs) including GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide, semaglutide) and other agents (naltrexone-bupropion, phentermine-topiramate, orlistat) are significantly underutilized in clinical practice, with only 8% of eligible patients receiving a prescription and 4.4% filling it.
If you have obesity (BMI ≥30) and are interested in anti-obesity medications (AOMs) like GLP-1 agonists (e.g., semaglutide, liraglutide), be aware that access is heavily restricted by insurance type and demographics. In this study, only 8% of eligible patients got a prescription, and 4.4% filled it. If you are insured by Medicaid, Medicare, or are a minority, you face significantly lower odds of receiving these medications. Discuss these barriers with your provider and advocate for coverage options, as private insurance offers better access than public programs.
Only 8.0% of the cohort had AOM prescriptions and 4.4% had filled prescriptions.
Why this rating
Large retrospective cohort study (n=50,678) with robust multivariable adjustments, though observational data cannot prove causality of disparities.
Source
Association of patient characteristics and insurance type with <scp>anti‐obesity</scp> medications prescribing and fills
Hamlet Gasoyan et al. · Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism · 2024
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