More than 500,000 providers prescribed GLP-1s in 2025, with wide variation between specialties, according to a Jan. 22 article from IQVIA, a clinical research firm.
GLP-1 medications are approved for several conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease and sleep apnea. Among GLP-1 drugs approved for weight loss — Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound — adoption and prescribing trends differed across provider specialties.
“Endocrinologists stand out as both quick adopters of Wegovy and subsequent high writers for Zepbound, leveraging their expertise in managing complex metabolic conditions to integrate new treatments earlier,” according to IQVIA. “Their readiness to prescribe is shaped by familiarity with the mechanisms of GLP-1 therapies and a patient base that often presents with comorbidities where these drugs deliver added value.”
Primary care providers account for the largest share of GLP-1 prescriptions due their broad patient base. However, in contrast to endocrinologists, they have been slower to adopt GLP-1s, which IQVIA defines as prescribing a GLP-1 within the first 1.75 years of the drug entering the market.
Cardiologists and pediatricians were among the slowest to adopt or engage with GLP-1 therapies. Cardiologists are likely waiting for more conclusive data on cardiovascular benefits, while pediatricians remain hesitant amid “widespread debate about the long-term effects on younger populations,” the report said.
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