Weight-loss drug claims ramp up: Manulife

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Claims for weight-loss drugs and substance-use disorder treatment have climbed over the past year, Manulife reported Friday.

The private insurance company clocked a 37 per cent jump in anti-obesity drug claims in Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2023 compared to the year prior. A majority of claimants — 77 per cent — were women.

Meanwhile, Manulife recorded a 27 per cent jump in substance-use disorder treatment claims in the two Prairie provinces.

“I don’t think that this is a one-time shot,” said Pavithra Ravi, Manulife director of pharmacy strategy.

Meaning, she doesn’t see an end to the demand for both weight-loss drugs and substance-use disorder treatments (which includes treatments for opioid and alcohol addiction).

It’s a sign of the times, she said. Weight-loss drugs have become “high profile” due to the popularization of products like Ozempic, she said.

Ozempic isn’t classified as a weight-loss drug by Health Canada; it’s approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. However, other drugs are listed for weight loss, and those have seen an increase in uptake, Ravi said.

Ryan Chan, owner of Exchange District Pharmacy in Winnipeg, recalled Ozempic shortages over the past couple years. Celebrity endorsements and increased media coverage caused people to go “buck wild” over the product, he said.

Manitobans have settled for other options amid Ozempic shortages, he said Friday, adding there doesn’t seem to be a lack of supply for the popular brand anymore.

Across Canada, Manulife has recorded a 91.9 per cent increase in claims for weight-loss drugs, when comparing 2023 to 2020.

Another common prescription at the pharmacy has been substance-use disorder treatments, Chan confirmed.

“I think there’s a lot of people who need treatment but can’t get treatment,” he said, citing chronic shortages for mental health supports in Manitoba.

Nationally, Manulife has counted a 52 per cent increase in claims for substance use disorder treatment since 2020.

Most coverage for such treatments doesn’t come through private insurance companies, Chan noted.

A majority of people with addictions don’t have job security because mental illness prevents them from holding a position, Chan continued.

The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to kick-start people to seek help for addictions, noted Ravi from Manulife.

Manulife released the data in its first-ever employee health report.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com