Ozempic, Semaglutide Injection Misuse Reported Among a Nationally Representative Sample in the United States

Abstract

Ozempic, along with exercise and diet, is effective in helping individuals lose weight. Prior studies have reported misuse of Ozempic. This descriptive study used a nationally representative sample of persons in the U.S. from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to identify self-reported use of an Ozempic injection for which the person was not prescribed. In 2024, 28,691 individuals ages 12 and older self-reported ever injecting Ozempic that was not prescribed to them. The entire sample who self-reported misusing Ozempic consisted of women aged at least 18 years (100%). Among this sample, more than 90% reported that their most recent misuse of Ozempic occurred in the past 12 months. Most of the sample was between the ages of 26 and 34 (64%), had a body mass index consistent with obesity (89%), was employed full-time (81%), was a college graduate or higher (91%), and had private health insurance coverage (81%). The entire sample reported consuming alcohol in the past 12 months (100%), and slightly more than half met the criteria for an alcohol use disorder diagnosis (53%). This is the first known study to characterize a nationally representative sample of persons who self-reported misusing Ozempic injections. Future studies are needed to examine the motivations for Ozempic misuse and to determine whether some individuals experience barriers to accessing it.

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