Approximately 80,000 people in the Netherlands now receive weight-loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, compared to roughly 40,000 in 2024. This follows revised prescribing guidelines that expanded eligibility beyond diabetes patients only.
The medications remain available through insurance only for individuals with a body mass index of at least 35 and type II diabetes. Thousands continue to pay out-of-pocket.
Professor Liesbeth van Rossum from Erasmus Medical Centre describes the medications as similar to an electric bike. The assistance helps, but the pedaling still matters.
Seven million people in the Netherlands are overweight. Fourteen percent are classified as obese. Current prescription rates represent approximately 1.2% of this population.
A government survey found that 90% of respondents support including these medications in the basic insurance package. Insurance criteria have not changed.
Stichting Farmaceutische Kengetallen continues to monitor prescription trends. For now, expanded access remains under discussion.
