Ozempic, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Diabetes

In January 2025, the FDA approved Ozempic (semaglutide) to help treat patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes. Semaglutide belongs to a group of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs), which were originally approved to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Other forms of GLP1-RAs include Mounjaro, Wegovy, semaglutide, and […]

How to Understand Blood Glucose Level Results

Managing blood sugar has always been a balancing act for me, especially when I was first diagnosed with diabetes. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the readings of my blood glucose levels and thinking, “What’s ‘normal’, what’s ‘too high’, and what’s ‘too low’?” It didn’t help that the term “normal” blood sugar often seemed to refer […]

How to Tackle Childhood Obesity Without Fueling Eating Disorders

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently changed its approach to tackling childhood obesity, moving away from a “wait and see” method to more aggressive treatments for weight loss. This includes recommending bariatric surgery for some teens, medication like Wegovy, and intensive therapy for young children.  The AAP claimed these methods wouldn’t lead to eating […]

There’s growing confidence that GLP-1 meds are safe in pregnant women

One of the most frequent cautions that drug companies print on the Product Information leaflet that comes with their product says something like, “This medication has not been tested to be safe in pregnant women and should only be used in consultation with a healthcare provider.” It’s important to understand that this statement is not […]

The Gila monster gave the weight-loss revolution its bite

It’s currently estimated that over one-half of the adult US population is either overweight or obese. Being overweight means having a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 30. Obese means a BMI higher than 30. This statistic shouldn’t be taken to indicate neglect by the healthcare, research, or pharmaceutical industry. In reality, enormous attention […]

Can Metformin be used for more than just diabetes?

Metformin has a long history as a substance with some medical value. It dates back even before its official recognition in 1918 for its ability to reduce blood sugar levels. Before any medical knowledge about diabetes, herbalists utilized a plant called Galega officinalis (also known as goat’s rue or French Lilac) to treat people who […]

Changes in insurance coverage for Ozempic

There’s been a rapid revolution in how U.S. insurers cover (or don’t cover) the cost of the newer type 2 diabetes medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. In this short article, we offer a general overview of the highly volatile situation concerning insurance coverage for these medicines. We aren’t trying to predict what could be […]

Focus on SGLT2 inhibitors like Farxiga

In August 2023, we published an in-depth article that focused on a significant improvement in the treatment of both heart and kidney diseases coming from the widespread introduction of new diabetes medications that are based on GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists (such as Ozempic, Semaglutide, and Mounjaro.) One of our readers posted a question as […]

Expert opinion: Considering Ozempic for weight loss isn’t reckless

In my role as the senior pharmacist here at IsraelPharm, I ensure that we always provide information and respond to questions with evidence-based answers, backed by personal experience and knowledge. Unfortunately, when the internet (namely social media) is our main source of input, we are often confronted with opinions and feedback that contradict medical facts. […]

New (and improved) diabetes meds for heart and kidney disease

Often, in the world of medicine, progress is made in unexpected ways. Researchers sometimes find solutions to problems not by carefully planned experiments but by happy accidents. A prime example of this is in recent advancements in treating heart and kidney disease with new families of medications initially intended to treat people with type 2 […]