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The Irish Times reports the HSE is considering reimbursing more GLP-1 medications after receiving a number of applications.
In December 2025, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics said Mounjaro was not cost-effective, but that the HSE should consider reimbursing it if it could agree a price reduction with Eli Lilly.
More than 45,000 people are getting Ozempic for free under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, and more than 8,000 under the medical card, the Irish Times reports.
Saxenda remains the only GLP-1 therapy the HSE currently reimburses for weight loss.
Sundayworld.co.za reports South Africa is revising its rules on customising medicines, including GLP-1 treatments, with the revised standards expected before the council in February.
Ireland's health service is weighing whether to pay for more GLP-1 medications, according to the Irish Times. In South Africa, regulators are revising the rules on how pharmacies customise these medicines.
The Irish Times reports that the HSE is considering reimbursing more GLP-1 medications after receiving a number of applications. The outlet notes that in December 2025, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics said Mounjaro was not cost-effective but that the HSE should consider reimbursing it if it could agree a price reduction with manufacturer Eli Lilly. According to the Irish Times, more than 45,000 people are getting Ozempic for free under the Long-Term Illness Scheme, with more than 8,000 receiving it under the medical card, and Saxenda remains the only GLP-1 therapy currently reimbursed for weight loss by the HSE.
In South Africa, the focus turns to how these medicines get made. Sundayworld.co.za reports that the country is revising its rules governing the customisation of medicines, including GLP-1 treatments for diabetes and weight loss, with health regulators warning pharmacies not to act as small-scale manufacturers. The outlet reports that the revised standards are expected to go before the council in February, with publication targeted for March. Sundayworld.co.za notes that the popularity of GLP-1 medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound has fuelled growth in compounded versions, drawing scrutiny from regulators globally, and reports that a council representative named Tlala said the council was concerned pharmacies were compounding medicines in anticipation of demand rather than for specific patients.
The Irish Times has more on the HSE's review of GLP-1 reimbursement, and Sundayworld.co.za has the full report on South Africa's revised compounding rules.
Originally published on GLP-1 Nation.
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