Surge in UAE demand for Ozempic diabetes injections for weight loss: Doctors

Surge in UAE demand for Ozempic diabetes injections for weight loss: Doctors

A surging number of residents in the United Arab Emirates are heading to health clinics, pharmacies and hospitals across the country trying to get their hands on diabetes injections such as Saxenda and Ozempic to use the medications for weight loss.

Doctors in Dubai told Al Arabiya English that interest has peaked after videos on TikTok and advertisements on Instagramhave promoted the drugs as a miracle cure for stubborn fat – as residents are warned they cannot simply wander into a pharmacy to get their hands on the drug.

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Al Arabiya English reported last week how the drugs – injections that typically treat diabetes – used for weight loss without a doctor’s prescription are far more dangerous than people think, with experts saying the recent diet fadhas worsened the global shortage of such medications.

In the UAE, Dr. Aswin Pankajakshan, a specialist endocrinologist at NMC Royal Hospital, DIP, Dubai, said there has been a “considerable surge in interest” for the drug.

“Of late, there has been a considerable surge in the use of Semaglutide (Ozempic) worldwide, including in the UAE, as influencers across social media platforms like TikTok are popularizing