Diabetic drug Ozempic recently made the rounds on social media for its weight loss properties, as a doctor warned about its potential side effects.

In a TV interview, Dr. Maricar Limpin of the Philippine College of Physicians said that a patient must have a doctor’s prescription to use Ozempic.

“Ozempic is a prescription drug. It is for lowering blood sugar and is used by patients with type 2 diabetes,” Limpin said.

“One of the benefits found is weight loss, but please take note that it is not actually sold as a weight reduction drug,” she stressed.

The injectable drug from Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk has an active ingredient called semaglutide for treating obesity.

It was approved in 2017 by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use by adults with type 2 diabetes.

Ozempic is injected weekly to lower blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin.

“It’s not a weight loss drug but it can help reduce weight,” Limpin noted.