Lectures 

Weight Management - Pharmacy CCS.pptx 

Podcasts 

#405 Obesity Medicine, GLP1 agonists, Weight Loss Management Tools and Tips - The Curbsiders  

#324: Obesity Medicine FAQ with Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford - The Curbsiders 

Podcast | Obesity Medicine Association 

Resources 

  • Dot phrase from Epic User Yufei Ge “.obesitymedications” 

As of Jan 1, 2026, PA Medicaid will no longer cover GLP-1 injectable medications for weight loss, including Ozempic, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and Wegovy, unless you have one of the following medical conditions: 

  • Type 2 diabetes 

  • History of heart attack or stroke 

  • Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea 

  • Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis 

For patients who wish to continue treatment, there are cash-pay options available (updated March 2026): 

Wegovy injection: 

  • $199 for new starts (0.25 mg and 0.5 mg for 2 months, then $349) 

  • $349 for current users or new starts at 1-2.4 mg 

  • Send e-script to NovoCare® Pharmacy 2400 Sand Lake Rd, Ste. 200B  Orlando, FL 32809  

 Wegovy oral pills (daily): 

  • 1.5mg -$149/month 

  • 4mg-$149/month until April 15, 2026. after that $199/month. 

  • 9mg, 25mg -$299/month 

  • Send e-script to NovoCare® Pharmacy 2400 Sand Lake Rd, Ste. 200B  Orlando, FL 32809  

 Zepbound: 

  • $299 for 2.5 mg 

  • $399 for 5 mg 

  • $449 for 7.5-15 mg (must fill at least every 45 days) 

  • Send e-script to LillyDirect Pharmacy 1555 S Harding St, Ste 171-B68, Indianapolis, IN 46221 

Articles  

Medications to Promote Weight Loss: Guidelines From the American Gastroenterological Association | AAFP  

Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed 

Association Between GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Meta-analysis - PubMed 

Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed 

Association Between GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Meta-analysis - PubMed 

Heterogeneity of Treatment Effects of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PubMed 

Tackling suboptimal clinical response after metabolic bariatric surgery: Impact of tirzepatide on weight loss and body composition - ClinicalKey 

Semaglutide and Tirzepatide for the Management of Weight Recurrence After Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study | Obesity Surgery | Springer Nature Link 

Safety and Efficacy of Liraglutide, 3.0 mg, Once Daily vs Placebo in Patients With Poor Weight Loss Following Metabolic Surgery: The BARI-OPTIMISE Randomized Clinical Trial | Trials | JAMA Surgery | JAMA Network 

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) 

  • STEP-HFpEF

    • Semaglutide 2.4 mg 

    • Adults with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², LVEF ≥ 45%, NYHA class II–IV symptoms, KCCQ-CSS < 90 points, 6-minute walk distance ≥ 100 m, without diabetes 

    • Improvement in KCCQ-CSS scores by 16.6 points with semaglutide vs 8.7 points with placebo (P < .001). Mean percent weight change from baseline was –13.3% with semaglutide vs –2.6% with placebo (P < .001). 

  • SUMMIT 

    • Tirzepatide 2.5–15 mg 

    • Adults ≥ 40 years of age with NYHA class II–IV heart failure, LVEF ≥ 50%, with obesity 

    • Death from cardiovascular causes or worsening heart failure occurred in 9.9% with tirzepatide vs 15.3% with placebo (P = .026). Mean increase in KCCQ-CSS was 19.5 points with tirzepatide vs 12.7 points with placebo (P < .001). Mean percent change in body weight was –13.9% with tirzepatide. 

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with diabetes 

  • STEP-HFpEF DM 

    • Semaglutide 2.4 mg

    • Adults with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², LVEF ≥ 45%, with diabetes 

    • Improvement in KCCQ-CSS scores by 13.7 points with semaglutide vs 6.4 points with placebo (P < .001). Mean percent weight change from baseline was –9.8% with semaglutide vs –3.4% with placebo (P < .001). 

Liver disease 

  • SYNERGY-NASH 

    • Tirzepatide 5, 10, or 15 mg 

    • Adults with overweight or obesity, with or without T2D, diagnosis of MASH with F2 or F3 fibrosis, and NAFLD activity score ≥ 4 

    • At 52 weeks, resolution of MASH without worsening fibrosis occurred in 44% (5 mg), 56% (10 mg), and 62% (15 mg) vs 10% with placebo. 

Osteoarthritis 

  • STEP 9

    • Semaglutide 2.4 mg 

    • Adults with obesity and a clinical diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis with moderate radiographic changes in the target knee 

    • Mean body weight change was –13.7% with semaglutide vs –3.2% with placebo at 68 weeks (P < .001). Mean change in WOMAC pain score was –41.7 points with semaglutide vs –27.5 points with placebo (P < .001). 

Guidelines