Ozempic and Wegovy are trimming waistlines—and showing how quickly U.S. health care can turn into a gold rush

This is a classic example of transaction restriction. Telemedicine 1.0 model And the danger of consumerism running out of control. Patients can easily take formulated GLP-1 even when lifestyle changes or other approaches are clinically more appropriate. But who will look after their health after the deal is completed? Who is helping them manage their side effects and overall physical and mental health?

If a patient becomes ill from the compounded GLP-1, they may end up in the ER, and the cost will be covered by the employer and insurance company. No one wins in this scenario.

The types of clinicians who prescribe GLP-1 include: expanded rapidly. The initial prescription of GLP-1 as a diabetes treatment was almost exclusively by endocrinologists. Currently, cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, internists, and even psychiatrists are probably prescribing them with a different perspective than endocrinologists, and sometimes without a complete understanding of the patient’s overall health. . Various specialties are beginning to establish their own specializations clinical guidelines For GLP-1.

Given how siled specialty care is, it is increasingly likely that primary care physicians (PCPs) will prescribe GLP-1 for weight management without the knowledge of the patient’s cardiologist; The reverse is also true. Who is thinking about the whole person? Who is looking at the overall clinical outcomes and costs for the patient and the system as a whole?

I am rooting for GLP-1 to become a miracle drug. However, the jury is still out, and in the meantime, the GLP-1 frenzy is exposing healthcare stakeholders across the system (patients, employers, insurers, and providers) to unsustainable clinical and financial risks. are.

On the plus side, these increased risks and unprecedented attention from both consumers and industry may ultimately be what is needed to fix a broken healthcare model. And the solution to the problems surrounding GLP-1 is exactly what we’ve needed all along.

• Prevention. US investment is much lower Prevention and primary care than other wealthy countries. Increasing access to primary care and mental health services, including virtual care, is essential to sustainably address the upstream causes of the conditions we currently treat with GLP-1.

• integrated care. This includes long-term care coordination between PCPs and specialists, navigators and patient advocates. The comprehensive financial and administrative support provided by these care team members is especially important given the high costs of medications and the challenges of managing chronic diseases such as diabetes.

• Performance-based payments. Recent moves to include GLP-1 in foods Medicare negotiation It’s a good start, but it’s not a silver bullet for health care cost trends. Despite consumer demand for GLP-1, research has shown Two-thirds of patients do not remain on the drug long enough to achieve or maintain clinical benefit, resulting in significant upfront costs and little return for patients. and Health care purchasers. Business and payment models tied to important clinical and financial outcomes encourage the smart prescribing and integrated care needed to improve adherence and long-term outcomes, minimizing waste and This is an important step in realizing the full value of GLP-1.

GLP-1 has the potential to transform healthcare. But their potential will be stunted if we continue to force them into siled and fragmented health systems. This is another sign that we need to fundamentally rethink our healthcare system.

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