Ozempic continues to make noise on social media as a miracle weight reduction drug. However the craze over its weight reduction advantages has caused many diabetes patients to miss out on their prescriptions.
On Wednesday, Ronnie Nalven, a diabetes patient from Melbourne Beach, Florida, spoke out on his struggles to replenish his Ozempic prescription amid the shortage as a result of the sudden surge in demand from people attempting to drop extra pounds.
“It’s been about, I’d say six, seven, eight months now,” Nalven told local TV station WESH when asked how long it has been since he last got a refill for the drug prescribed to him by his doctor for his diabetes.
“They simply simply say don’t have it. We’ve a tough date that we’re getting one other shipment, after which that shipment date comes and goes, and it just keeps happening like this,” he added after noting that he’s already asked two different pharmacy chains to ascertain supplies beyond Brevard County.
Nalven said he’s willing to drive wherever he needs to simply to seek out supplies of the drug he’s using to administer his type 2 diabetes. Resulting from the shortage caused by the load loss trend, he stopped checking his blood sugar because he could now not have the medication he needed.
“‘Cause it was frustrating to see my blood sugar at a 200 level, which is definitely quite dangerous to my internal organs. Then, once I was on Ozempic, and I’d get up within the morning with a smile considering, here I’m, my blood sugar goes to be 102, and it was great. It was very nice knowing I used to be in check with everyone else who shouldn’t be a diabetic,” he said.
Nalven was only prescribed a dose of 0.5 milligrams. Non-diabetics using the drug for weight reduction require higher doses to make sure their desired effect. Resulting from this, a shortage of supplies for many who really want Ozempic for health reasons became inevitable.
“I understand some celebrities and those who try to drop extra pounds are prescribed 2.0 to 2.5 milliliters which is three to 5 times the quantity of it that I would like. In order that they’re taking an exorbitant amount to drop extra pounds and using the availability. And it really hurts us,” Nalven said.
Nalven is just considered one of the various diabetes patients struggling to secure supplies of their prescribed drug amid the shortage. The moment Hollywood celebrities began crediting the drug for his or her body transformations and evident weight reduction, Ozempic skyrocketed in popularity on social media.
The larger demand prompted several clinics and facilities across the country to supply the “skinny pen” to their clients. Henderson-based medical center Health Xpress admitted many individuals began asking about Ozempic following the media buzz. Hence, the owners decided to supply it to customers wanting to drop extra pounds.
For Andrew Clark, a pharmacist who owns Northtown Pharmacy, regardless that there’s strong demand for Ozempic and similar diabetes drugs as weight reduction solutions, it’s still imperative for them to prioritize and secure stocks for diabetes patients.
“I’ve seen patients are available over the past several months which have dropped weight significantly, and likewise their agency has improved significantly, so I can understand the demand that’s behind the medication. Nevertheless it’s very, very necessary that we now have those medications stocked for our diabetic patients,” he said last month in an interview with WLBT.
“Pharmacists are communicating with one another, calling around seeing the opposite pharmacists have those medications in stock. We are also communicating forwards and backwards with the doctors to make certain that we may have the option to regulate the dose of that medication up or down with a purpose to get those patients those medications,” he added.
The drug Semaglutide — originally marketed as Ozempic — was intended just for diabetes patients. Nonetheless, when its guaranteed weight reduction side effect became known, manufacturer Novo Nordisk released the higher-dose version called Wegovy, specifically designed for weight reduction.
But Wegovy comes with a hefty price. The drug costs $1,400 to $1,500 when not covered by insurance. Ozempic, dubbed the less-expensive version, can also be not inexpensive at $1,000 to $1,200 per thirty days out of pocket. Some clinics have began to offer cheaper versions by mixing doses just to fulfill the demand for the drug.