Walgreens says about half of its Bridge patients had never taken a GLP-1 before

Walgreens' chief pharmacy officer, Rick Gates, told NPR that roughly half of the patients the chain has served through Medicare's GLP-1 Bridge program had never taken a GLP-1 medication before ^[1]. He said demand has topped what the company expected, even though stores stocked extra Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo ahead of the program's July 1 launch ^[1].

The Bridge is a temporary Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services demonstration that lets eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries get certain GLP-1 drugs for a $50 monthly copay ^[2]. To qualify, beneficiaries generally need obesity combined with a condition such as high blood pressure that is hard to control; people with sleep apnea or Type 2 diabetes are not eligible because Medicare already covers GLP-1s for those conditions ^[1]. The program is scheduled to run through December 31, 2027 ^[1][2].

Less than two months after launch, CVS and Walgreens each told NPR they had filled around 100,000 Bridge prescriptions ^[1]. Walmart did not give a specific count but said Bridge prescriptions have now been processed at more than 5,000 Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies and are growing week over week ^[1]. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said in a July 29 video that 250,000 beneficiaries had signed up, though it's not clear whether all of those people got the prior authorization required to fill a prescription ^[1].

Jeremy Shane, a nonresident scholar at USC's Schaeffer Institute, said those numbers are notable given that Medicare had estimated roughly 4 million beneficiaries might qualify for the program ^[1]. If the two chains' combined 200,000 prescriptions are doubled to account for other pharmacies, that could put uptake at somewhere between 5% and 10% of the eligible population in just a few weeks ^[1]. The nonpartisan group KFF has estimated the 18-month program could cost the government between $1.3 billion and $10 billion, depending on participation, compared with the $181 billion Medicare Part D spent on all prescription drugs in 2025 ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

For patients new to GLP-1 drugs, the biggest practical issue right now isn't supply, according to Gates — Walgreens hasn't seen shortages of Wegovy, Zepbound or Foundayo tied to the program ^[1]. The concern instead is retention. Side effects like nausea and diarrhea are common when starting a GLP-1, and Gates said pharmacists are focused on helping first-time patients manage those symptoms so they don't quit treatment early ^[1]. That guidance applies broadly to anyone starting a GLP-1, not just Bridge enrollees, but it may be especially relevant here since about half the program's patients are new to these drugs and may not know what to expect ^[1].

The Obesity Action Coalition cautions that it's still early days for the Bridge, noting that beneficiaries, providers and pharmacies are all learning a new prior-authorization and claims process at the same time ^[2]. The group says it's too soon to draw firm conclusions about whether the program is succeeding, and that coverage only helps if people can actually navigate it and get their prescriptions filled ^[2].

What happens next

The Bridge program is set to continue through the end of 2027 ^[1][2]. CMS has said the demonstration will generate data on GLP-1 utilization that could shape future Medicare policy on obesity drug coverage ^[2]. It is not yet known how many of the roughly 250,000 people who signed up by late July have successfully completed prior authorization, nor what the program's total cost will end up being ^[1]. Advocacy groups including the Obesity Action Coalition say they will keep tracking where access barriers emerge as more beneficiaries enroll ^[2].