Longitudinal Analysis of Obesity Drug Use and Public Awareness

Obesity, a chronic disease with escalating global prevalence, poses considerable health risks. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), including liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, have demonstrated efficacy for weight loss in clinical trials. The paradigm shift in the approach to obesity management drugs (OMDs) may offer an opportunity to examine online search activity and prescription trends.

To investigate prescription patterns and online search trends for OMD and correlating usage dynamics with public engagement regarding these medications. Design, Setting, and Participants: This repeated cross-sectional study analyzed online searches and corresponding data for dispensed prescriptions derived from the IQVIA National Prescription Audit, a comprehensive audit capturing approximately 90% of US retail prescription dispensing that is then projected to population-level data. Data from online searches and on prescriptions from the National Prescription Audit for US Food and Drug Administration-approved OMDs were collected from July 1, 2017, through February 29, 2024. This population-level analysis included all eligible individuals using either the Google search engine or receiving prescriptions. Exposures: US monthly query fractions as online searches per 10 million total searches and monthly prescriptions dispensed for OMDs. Main Outcome and Measures: Trends in OMD prescriptions and online searches were visually analyzed, and quantitative correlations were calculated using Spearman rank correlation.