Anti-obesity medicine Ozempic becomes harder to find as it becomes more popular

Recently the demand for the weight loss drug Ozempic has risen along with global supply chain problems, which has resulted in a shortage of the drug. The doctors think that the scarcity is due to the benefits that the drug has to offer and not the increasing diabetes rate.

The therapy is manufactured by pharma giant Novo Nordisk, the company that also manufactured a higher dose of the drug under the brand name Wegovy.

2021 saw an extensive shortage of Wegovy as well. Due to that shortage, Ozempic was alternatively prescribed during the time. However, some people found it unsatisfying due to unstable levels of blood sugar.

Insulin is not used correctly in Type 2 diabetic patients’ bodies. The drug works by imitating an insulin-regulating hormone and is used as an injection administered by oneself. Type 2 diabetes could cause increased blood sugar that may lead to kidney or heart diseases.

According to endocrinologist Dr. Marcio Griebeler, some patients had to visit a number of pharmacies before finding the drug. He also mentioned that patients had to take smaller doses at times due to lack of availability, which may not have had the desired effect.

One Type 2 diabetic patient in Seattle has been unable to get hold of the medicine since October and was consequently prescribed another drug which has proven to be not as effective as his blood sugar level has increased since then. Switching drugs in itself causes problems, which will make it even harder when Ozempic is back on the market.

Dr. Susan Spratt, a Population Health Management Office endocrinologist said that adjusting to Ozempic after taking an alternative is not simple considering side effects like nausea. She stated, “In order to get back on the drug, you have to start all over again and that’s really burdensome.”

Dr. Disha Narang of Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital sees multiple patients who used to take Ozempic and later had to either switch or stop the treatment, and both cases lead to increased blood sugar. She also said that the scarcity has been hard on physicians as well because they do not have control over the supply chain.

Novo Nordisk stated that there has been an improvement in the availability of the drug despite continued supply chain problems. The company’s spokesperson Allison Schneider said that certain doses of the drug are available amidst issues in the supply chain that are expected to last through the month and some patients in the United States will see further delays. She also mentioned that people who want to continue their treatment must contact their respective healthcare providers.

Another one of the patients in Florida, Largent-Phillips has been recording her experience on the social media platform TikTok. She stated that she has to be alert regarding her blood sugar levels. She also mentioned that there are numerous others who need the drug to take care of their ailments and she does not blame them for the shortage but points the finger at the supply chain and the manufacturer.

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