Medications for diabetes are currently prescribed for weight loss and are in short supply nationwide.
Diabetics struggle to get the medication they need because of people touting their weight loss potential on social media.
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On TikTok, people use the drug Ozempic to document their weight loss journey. Although it is a type II diabetes drug, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved it for use in weight loss.
Some say he’s lost 200 pounds, and even Hollywood celebrities are caught up in his frenzy.
However, there is now a nationwide shortage, and diabetics across the country who need this drug for its intended purpose are outraged because they can’t find it anywhere.
Pharmacist Rachel Kestin said Concord’s Moose Pharmacy, like all other pharmacies in the area, is struggling to keep the drug in stock. He said that patients who had to take it had side effects.
“If they miss a few weeks, the nausea returns, so it’s difficult for patients who are missing dose adjustments because of this deficiency,” Kestin said.
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The drug can really help diabetics manage blood sugar levels, lower A1-CA, lose weight, and improve overall health. Since then, some patients have lost progress in managing their disease.
“Patients are going to see a lot of progress, and then suddenly they’re disappointed because they can’t get the drugs that allow them to see progress,” Kestin said.
Channel 9’s Genevieve Curtis reached out to the American Diabetes Association on Monday. Chief Scientific and Medical Officer Dr. Robert Gabbay said in a statement: We are very concerned about what limits access to effective treatments for diabetes. ”
Pharmacists say there are other drugs that diabetics can switch to, but it’s not always easy.
(See: What You Need to Know: Diabetes)