B.C. to restrict sales of diabetes drug Ozempic to non-Canadians as demand soars amid weight-loss claims

The province of British Columbia says it’s planning to restrict how much Ozempic can be sold to people outside Canada as American demand for the diabetes drug surges, driven by celebrities and online influencers claiming it can help with weight loss.

Health Minister Adrian Dix on Tuesday said a provincial analysis found 15 per cent of Ozempic sales in the first two months of the year went to U.S. residents — a worryingly high rate, he said, considering the average for other drugs sold to Americans was less than half a per cent.

“This is concerning and, in my view, it has to stop … the purpose of procuring the Ozempic for