The trend: Microdosing weight loss drugs like Ozempic is a new social media-driven trend, according to a recent NYT article. For context, microdosing refers to consuming smaller amounts of a drug on a fixed schedule.

How we got here: Patients and social health influencers are using social media to encourage patients to microdose on Ozempic.

• GLP-1 patients are going to Reddit and TikTok to discuss how microdosing helps abate common drug side effects. Others report that microdosing helps them achieve their goal of losing only a small amount of weight or losing weight more gradually.
• Social health influencer Dr. Tyna Moore has made microdosing a focus of “Ozempic Done Right University,” a $2,300 online course that educates enrollees on optimizing GLP-1 regimens.
• An October post on X from Stanford Medicine neuroscientist and podcaster Dr. Andrew Huberman (who has 1.4 million followers) included a clip of an interview with a performance medicine expert who said microdosing GLP-1s helps offset muscle mass loss while avoiding “Ozempic face.”

Zooming out: Microdosing is typically used to mitigate common side effects of GLP-1s. It's more often practiced with compounded GLP-1s that are in vials and allow for easier changes than name-brand injectable pens.

• 75% of healthcare providers who actively prescribe weight loss medications have had patients report side effects, according to a December 2024 survey from Sermo.
• Nausea (55%), diarrhea (12%), and stomach pain (9%) are the most commonly reported side effects.

Why it matters: This emerging trend speaks to the power of social health influencers and their frequent engagement with consumers. The NYT even spoke to a psychologist who started microdosing her GLP-1 medication after listening to Moore speak about it on a podcast.

At the same time, many doctors are conflicted over the risk/reward of microdosing GLP-1s.

• 91% of providers are concerned about patients independently adjusting their prescribed medication doses, per Sermo’s survey.

Healthcare marketers must be sure to point consumers to the most reliable sources of health information on the topic while instructing them to always confer with their provider.

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