2025 November Pharmacy Insights: GLP-1 Agonists, Generic Drugs, and Medication Safety

When it comes to GLP-1 agonists, a class of weight loss and diabetes drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound. Also known as incretin mimetics, it has transformed how we treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, but it also brings new risks like gallbladder disease and unpredictable side effects. These drugs aren’t just pills—they’re powerful tools that change how your body processes food and stores fat. But as more people use them, doctors are seeing a rise in abdominal pain, gallstones, and other complications, especially when weight loss happens too fast. If you’re on one of these medications, knowing the red flags isn’t optional—it could prevent a hospital visit.

Behind the scenes, the system that delivers these drugs to you is under strain. Generic drugs, the affordable versions of brand-name medications that make up over 90% of prescriptions in the U.S.. Also known as off-patent drugs, it is the backbone of global healthcare, yet their availability is often delayed by legal battles, patent thickets, and regulatory bottlenecks. India produces more than 20% of the world’s generics, with hundreds of FDA-approved factories, but even then, patients wait months or years after a patent expires before the cheaper version hits shelves. Meanwhile, medication safety, the practice of ensuring drugs are handled, stored, and taken correctly to prevent harm. Also known as pharmaceutical safety, it covers everything from childproofing your medicine cabinet to protecting nurses from chemotherapy exposure. This month’s articles show how deeply safety connects to every part of medicine—whether it’s adjusting insulin doses, avoiding QT prolongation with antidepressants, or making sure a pregnant woman isn’t taking something that could harm her baby.

What you’ll find in this collection isn’t just a list of articles—it’s a real-world guide to the hidden risks and smart solutions shaping modern pharmacy. You’ll learn how bioequivalence studies are finally including older adults and women to make sure generics work for everyone, not just young men. You’ll see how AI and regional manufacturing are being used to fix drug shortages before they happen. You’ll get clear steps to prevent motion sickness on road trips, treat hemorrhoids without surgery, and protect your kids from accidental poisoning. These aren’t theoretical ideas. They’re the lessons doctors and pharmacists are using right now to keep people safe and healthy.