NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – In a recent budget meeting the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of TennCare made some requests for its next budget.

Among the notable requests are $165 million to adjust medical inflation to keep and $118 million for an increase in pharmacy costs.

Now, the requested $118M increase in pharmacy costs is solely driven by the increased popularity of GLP-1 drugs. GLP-1 drugs are found in several Type 2 diabetes and weight loss drugs, used in popular brand-name drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

TennCare is federally required to cover GLP-1 drugs; of the $118M in the cost increase request, more than $76 million would be coming from federal dollars.

“GLP-1 drugs, also called GLP-1 agonists, are shortened names for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic the GLP-1 hormone that is naturally released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating,” Harvard wrote. “When you eat, your digestive system breaks carbohydrates down into simple sugars that travel through your bloodstream. GLP-1 triggers the release of insulin from your pancreas. Insulin helps usher glucose (sugar) out of the bloodstream and into your cells, where it can be used for nourishment and energy.”

Be sure to click here to learn more about GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.