Online purchasing options for GLP-1 agonists: Accessibility, marketing practices, and consumer safety concerns

Abstract

The proliferation of online pharmaceutical sales necessitates a deeper understanding of how medications such as the diabetes treatment Ozempic® are presented and marketed on Google Shopping, a major aggregator of e-commerce merchants. We analyzed the representation and characteristics of Ozempic® listings, which were provided as regular and sponsored product results, with options to filter by medication form (liquid, tablet, capsule, wipes), specific pain relief applications (e.g., migraine, arthritis), free shipping offers, and price ranges. Additional filters included selection by store, however no sorting or filtering criteria were applied to maintain neutrality in the initial data capture. The 57 results were vetted for duplication, relevance, and English language usage. The final sample analyzed included 19 unique URLs. Results indicated that pricing ranged between $65 for proprietary compounded semaglutides and other weight loss products and $1399.99 for Ozempic®. Nearly half of the vendors offered introductory discounts, while others offered payment plans; 21.1 % mentioned a money-back guarantee but insurance coverage received little attention. Nearly half of the websites (42.1 %) were sponsored by telemedicine platforms, 26 % by patient/weight loss services, and 21.1 % of these were pharmacies. To access these medications, 15 vendors (78.9 %) required a prescription and of these13/15 (86.7 %) could be provided through the vendor’s company physician after completing an online questionnaire. The majority of programs (94.7 %) were accessible remotely with no direct personal interaction with the company physician or supplier. Nearly 80 % of the websites mentioned the pros of the weight loss product they promoted compared to 68.4 % that mentioned any cons. Around one-third of the sites (36.8 %) made product safety claims and 10.5 % mentioned “testing” without any specific details, while just over one-half referenced the FDA (57.9 %) or cited research to support credibility (52.6 %). The reliance on online pharmacies for GLP-1 agonists highlights the need for safeguards to ensure consumer health and safety.