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The DO

The dark side of semaglutide: Gastric emptying delays pose a risk when undergoing surgery

By The DO Staff

03.29.24

Considered a “miracle drug,” semaglutide (also known as Ozempic and Rybelsus, among other names) has become increasingly popular due to its weight loss effects. With the praise from celebrities and billionaires along with aggressive marketing—there were over 4,000 active campaigns for the drug on Facebook and Instagram alone in June 2023—semaglutide medication prescriptions totaled more than 9 million in September 2023, an increase of 300% of prescription volume in the last three years.