What is Ozempic and why is B.C. cracking down on sales of the drug to Americans?

Thousands of people in the United States have been getting their Ozempic this year from pharmacies in British Columbia, prompting the province to announce a restriction on sales to avoid a local shortage of the diabetes medication.

At a news conference Tuesday, Health Minister Adrian Dix detailed the results of an internal ministry investigation into the cross-border issue, saying that nearly one in five Ozempic prescriptions in B.C. went to American residents in the first two months of the year. 

The vast majority of those prescriptions were issued in Nova Scotia and fulfilled by two Metro Vancouver pharmacies, the investigation found.

Here’s how buyers