Research
Adherence
Access to effective obesity pharmacotherapy is severely limited by cost, insurance prior authorization, and systemic inequities, leading to high discontinuation rates.
Even if your doctor prescribes a weight loss drug, insurance may not cover it, or it may be too expensive. You might face delays due to prior authorizations. Ask your doctor about manufacturer assistance programs or alternative coverage options.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The data show a large discontinuity and fill-fail rates that track with coverage and cost... nearly 40% of GLP-1 prescriptions were never filled... most patients were not able to continue GLP-1s within a year of initiation
Why this rating
Based on cohort studies and claims data cited in the review.
Source
Medical Management of Obesity: A Comprehensive Review of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-Approved and Investigational Therapies
Syed S Raza et al. · Cureus · 2025
DOI 10.7759/cureus.96739
narrative_reviewCited 1×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- GLP-1 and dual/triple agonist therapies (semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide) produce double-digit mean weight loss (15-24%) in clinical trials, significantly exceeding older pharmacotherapies.Strong
- GLP-1 based therapies carry class-wide safety warnings including gastrointestinal effects, gallbladder events, pancreatitis risk, and a boxed warning for medullary thyroid carcinoma based on rodent data.Strong
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →