Minister of Health Frank Anthony says a generic version of Ozempic, a diabetes medication also widely used for weight loss, is expected to become available in Guyana within the next two months. However, he warned that the medication must only be used under proper medical supervision.
In a recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast, Dr Anthony said drugs such as Ozempic have been beneficial to many patients but can become problematic if misused.
“Ozempic and this line of medicines that have now become available, they have been helpful to a lot of patients, but it requires proper medical use, and it must be under medical supervision because without that, then people can misuse it and it can become a problem for them,” the Health Minister said.
According to Dr Anthony, one of the companies manufacturing a generic version of the drug has already applied for registration in Guyana.
“In Guyana, for the medicine itself, very soon in another two months or so, the generic version of Ozempic would be made available on the local market because I know one of the companies that are manufacturing this drug has applied for its registration here,” he said.
He noted that the application dossier submitted to the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department—a regulatory body—is currently being processed, and once approval is granted, the medication will become available locally.
However, the minister stressed that the medication is not intended for casual or unsupervised use.
“This is not a non-prescription item. You have to get a prescription, somebody has to supervise your care, and I think persons should stick to what these medications were intended for and if we do that then we will get the right benefit from the medicine,” Dr Anthony said.
The Health Minister also said authorities will closely monitor how the medication is being used once it enters the market.
“One of the things with the regulatory oversight, once you bring a product to the market, you have to also do surveillance to see how the product is being used, and that surveillance will tell you if the product is being used appropriately or inappropriately, and then relevant actions will be taken. We will be doing that monitoring as well,” he said.
The availability of the generic version is expected to make the medication more accessible to Guyanese patients while maintaining strict regulatory controls to ensure appropriate use.
