Costco launches weight loss program for members
Controversy surrounding diabetes drug, Ozempic, being used tor weight loss
The diabetes drug, Ozempic, has been in the headlines, causing quite a stir. Senior writer for Drugwatch.com, Terry Turner, joined LiveNow to discuss how some people are ending up in the hospital, for misusing Ozempic as a weight loss drug.
Costco is jumping into the weight loss game by giving members access to sought-after medications such as those made by pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
Effective immediately, Costco members can sign up for a weight loss program through its partner Sesame, a health care marketplace aimed at helping those with high-deductible plans or no health insurance afford medical care.
Members at Costco locations nationwide will get three months of clinical consultation as well as other services for $179.
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Clinicians will be able to write prescriptions for medications, including Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound, all of which have surged in popularity after their weight loss benefits were touted online by high-profile figures.
A worker pushes carts outside a Costco Wholesale store May 31, 2006, in Mount Prospect, Ill. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
"We are witnessing important innovations in medically-supervised weight loss," Sesame CEO David Goldhill said. "Sesame’s unique model allows us not only to make high-quality specialty care like weight loss much more accessible and affordable, but also to empower clinicians to create care plans that are specific to — and appropriate for — each individual patient."
Costco and Sesame first partnered in 2023 so Costco members could get low pricing for core health care services like virtual primary care, health checkups and virtual mental health therapy.
The new expanded partnership, announced Tuesday, applies to members in all 50 states. It comes shortly after Lilly made it easier for patients to gain access to in-demand weight loss drugs through its own telehealth service, LillyDirect.
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WeightWatchers, in a bid to turn around its business, also launched a program earlier this year that targets consumers who use weight loss-related medications.
A customer shops in a Costco store Sept. 28, 2021, in Miami, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
It's called the WeightWatchers GLP-1 Program, and it offers "tailored behavioral support for individuals on a GLP-1 medication," according to the company.
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Companies have continued to find ways to broaden access to these drugs all while medical professionals and drug manufacturers have continued to warn that they are not lifestyle medications.
With Sesame, the company said clinicians will first collect a patient's medical history and help determine appropriate diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications.
"When clinically appropriate, the clinician may pair these interventions with medications, subject to their availability," the company said in a statement.
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