• Posted June 25, 2026

GLP-1 Weight-Loss Boom Linked To Surge In Poison Control Calls

As the use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss surges, so do calls to U.S. poison control centers, according to a new study.

A team led by Jordan Miller of the University of Texas at San Antonio analyzed reports submitted to the National Poison Data System involving GLP-1 drugs before and after the 2021 approval of semaglutide for the treatment of obesity.

Prior to approval, the centers recorded roughly 1,000 to 1,500 cases annually. After mid-2021, call volumes nearly doubled. And by 2023, poison centers logged more than 8,000 GLP-1-related calls.

When researchers examined the increase by specific medication, semaglutide accounted for 64% of all GLP-1-related calls, according to the results.

One researcher called its dominance "staggering," though she noted that the finding aligns with the drug's extensive media attention.

Most of the cases resulted from unintentional dosing or therapeutic errors rather than deliberate misuse.

Two of the most common mistakes were patients injecting semaglutide daily instead of weekly and patients starting at the full dose immediately rather than gradually increasing treatment as recommended.

The majority of cases involved mild gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the proportion of patients referred to a health care facility increased from 23% to 33.5% over the study period.

The authors say many of these errors were preventable and could be reduced through better patient education.

The findings were recently published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology.

More information

America's Poison Centers has more on GLP-1s and overdose.

SOURCE: HealthDay TV, June 25, 2026