Portuguese Doctor Arrested in โฌ3 Million Fraudโ Scheme Involving Weight-Loss Drug Prescriptions
Lisbon, Portugal – November 19, 2025 – A Portuguese endocrinologist has been โarrested on suspicion of fraudulently prescribing anti-diabetic drugs, including Ozempic, Victoza, and Trulicity, to individuals without diabetes for weight loss purposes, resulting in an estimated โฌ3 million loss to the โPortuguese โstate.
Dr. Graรงa Vargas, identified as the main suspect, allegedly prescribed over 65,000 packages โขof the medications to 1,914 โฃpeople, โคmaking her the country’s top prescriber of these drugs, โaccording to CNN Portugal.โค The arrest is part of “Operation obรฉlix,” launched โขby the Portuguese Judicial Police (PJ).
Authorities allege โขthe scheme involved falsifying patient data within prescription software to obtain reimbursement from Portugal’s National Health Service (SNS). The SNS covers up to 95% of the medication’s cost for patients with type 2 diabetes. By falsely claiming diabetic status โฃfor non-diabetic patients,the suspects โfraudulently obtained co-payment fees.
The PJ statement โฃindicates the crimes involve qualified fraud and computer โฃfraud, with evidence suggesting the involvement โคof two doctors, a lawyer, and a medical clinic believed to be operating as fronts.
INFARMED, the Portuguese government’s health products watchdog, notes that theseโค medications are authorized forโค patients withโฃ “insufficiently controlled” type 2 diabetes and have faced availability issues since 2022 due to increased demand, including off-label use forโค weight loss and obesity treatment.
Alongside dr.Vargas’s arrest, police executedโ search warrants at homes, a lawyer’s office, accountancy firms, two companies, and a health clinic. Dr. โVargas is currently โฃawaiting questioning in court. The โคPJโ has not yetโ released further detailsโข regarding the ongoing investigation.
