Ein Monat Abnehmtablette: Apotheken: Bisher wenig Nachfrage nach Abnehmtablette
Nach der Abnehmspritze ist nun seit einem Monat auch die Abnehmtablette in Deutschland erhältlich. Bisher sei die Nachfrage aber verhalten, sagen die Apotheken. Die Spritze habe klare Vorteile.
A month after the introduction of the weight loss tablet in German pharmacies, it appears that few people are taking advantage of the new offering. "The initial feedback from pharmacies indicates that demand for the new so-called weight loss tablets is not yet very high," stated Apothekerpräsident Thomas Preis of the German Press Agency.
The weak initial demand was expected, Preis explained, as many patients had already switched to the injectable form. "When the switch occurs, that will be done by the doctor and it will come gradually." Benefits of the Injection According to Preis, the injectable form has several key advantages over the daily tablet. It only needs to be administered once a week, whereas patients on the tablet must be careful about when to take it, avoiding food or drink for eight hours beforehand.
"Some who are already doing well may wonder whether they want to take a tablet every day with its precise dosage instructions or prefer a weekly injection instead," Preis noted, the president of the Federal Association of German Pharmacy Associations (ABDA). "I believe the tablet is a good alternative for those who do not want to inject or have an injection phobia."
Debate Over Paying for the Tablet The Wegovy tablet containing the active ingredient semaglutide has been available in German pharmacies since September 1, 2026. It is approved for people with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related chronic condition. The cost varies depending on the form and dosage but is several hundred euros per month.
So far, the drug is only covered by health insurance for those with type-2 diabetes. Otherwise, weight loss medications are considered lifestyle drugs and are not covered by insurers in Germany. However, there is ongoing discussion about covering the cost for certain patient groups. The newly appointed head of the Joint Committee on Bundestag, who decides which services are paid for by statutory health insurers, had expressed support for covering the cost.
In contrast, the CEO of the AOK health insurers had warned against the high costs for the statutory health insurance system.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
