Weight loss drug waste: what happens to the Ozempic pens?

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Source: BMJ

Original: http://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.r2495.short?rss=1...

Published: 2026-02-23T02:31:48-08:00

Demand for weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) is growing, raising concerns about environmental contamination from millions of prefilled plastic pens.[1] The US almost exclusively uses single-dose pens that are thrown away after one use, while most of Europe uses multi-dose pens.[1] Prefilled pens are more user-friendly and allow treatment at home without the supervision of medical personnel.[1] However, home treatment can lead to improper waste disposal because the public is not trained in the proper disposal of clinical waste, unlike healthcare facilities.[1] According to Matthew Parker of the Technology Partnership in Cambridge, medical waste is more likely to be disposed of correctly in a hospital environment due to the training provided.[1]