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<\/p>\nCreated: Jun 29, 2026 06:28 AM<\/p>\n
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Bermuda Diabetes Association pharmacy technician Alexis Fox-Moreno, left, with staff pharmacist Marsha Anderson and head pharmacist Melissa Levy-James (Photograph supplied)<\/p>\n
A popular but high-priced pharmaceutical treatment for diabetes and conditions such as obesity, recently estimated <\/a>as costing Bermudian patients $1,000 a month, is set to become \u201csignificantly\u201d cheaper.<\/p>\n The drugs, collectively known as GLP-1s, are now being offered by the Bermuda Diabetes Association in their generic form.<\/p>\n The group said medications such as semaglutide, widely recognised under the brand name Ozempic, had \u201ctransformed the landscape of diabetes care\u201d over the past decade.<\/p>\n The drugs help people living with type 2 diabetes to manage blood sugar levels, and by extension support weight management, cut the risk of major cardiovascular events including stroke and slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.<\/p>\n However, the association said: \u201cThe high cost of branded GLP-1 medications has placed these treatments out of reach for many patients, creating a significant financial burden for individuals, families, insurers and the wider healthcare system.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, many people who could benefit from these life-changing medications have been unable to access them.\u201d<\/p>\n The injectable drug Ozempic (File photograph by David J. Phillip\/AP)<\/p>\n The branded cost estimate came last year from Peter Lozier, the group head of benefits for BF&M and Argus \u2014 now Allshores \u2014 who said the medications have surged in use in Bermuda.<\/p>\n Mr Lozier said in 2025 that the generic versions were unlikely to come out until the 2030s in the United States, but that an off-brand version expected to emerge this year in Canada \u201ccould lower the monthly costs by more than 50 per cent\u201d.<\/p>\n The BDA announced last week that its community pharmacy\u2019s introduction of generic semaglutide stood to make the \u201cimportant treatment more affordable and accessible for patients across Bermuda\u201d.<\/p>\n The charity added: \u201cGeneric medications contain the same active ingredient as their branded counterparts and are held to the same rigorous standards of quality, safety and effectiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n The BDA said the knock-on effect would ease financial pressures on insurers and the wider healthcare system.<\/p>\n Melissa Levy-James, the BDA pharmacy\u2019s head pharmacist, said that patients might assume generic medications would be \u201cless effective or lower quality, but that\u2019s simply not the case\u201d.<\/p>\n She said the association sourced its generic products from reputable manufacturers.<\/p>\n Lori Rockhead, the BDA executive director, said that while living with diabetes \u201ccan be expensive\u201d, the group was committed to removing barriers to care.<\/p>\n She emphasised that the community pharmacy was \u201copen to everyone, not just those living with diabetes\u201d.<\/p>\n The pharmacy was estimated to have saved its customers $3.5 million in dispensing fees since 2020, with people living with diabetes availing of more than $400,000 in discounts on high-cost medications, including GLP-1s.<\/p>\n Medications such as Ozempic are also covered by Allshores under its partnership with Phoenix Pharmacies that came into effect <\/a>this month.<\/p>\n The Allshores building (File photograph by Blaire Simmons)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782737355_207_.jpeg\")
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