Taking weight loss medications is no longer the road less traveled, with people traveling over 1,000 miles to get their hands on the semaglutide medications Wegovy and Ozempic.
The popularity of these drugs has led to a nationwide shortage and people are willing to go to any lengths to fill their prescriptions.
Other popular weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, both tirzepatides, are out of stock until July and drug shortages could last until 2025, drugmaker Eli Lily warned. Thin collections lead to drastic measures, according to a doctor.
Dr. Angela Fitch, a New York City physician who specializes in obesity medicine, told the Daily Mail that she has seen patients come from as far away as Ohio, Virginia and Florida to fill prescriptions.
He said another patient even drove 400 miles from Maine.
A 35-year-old mother and advertising executive from New York City who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Post that she had struggled to get her Wegovy prescription filled at pharmacies since it was prescribed. Both Wegovy and Ozempic are manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
After receiving the drug in February 2023, it took me more than a month to find a local pharmacy that carried Wegovy, he said.
The local, independently owned pharmacy filled my prescription and then told me that they could no longer provide me with the medication because my insurance would not allow the pharmacy to take benefits from my prescription. Then I started researching mail-order prescription services. Thanks to Amazon, I can now get my medicine. However, I have had problems with refills as the medicine was not available, he added.
However, even Amazon has had trouble keeping the drugs in stock and people are willing to take the drug out of state.
That said, Amazon is no longer accepting new prescriptions for GLP-1 medications as they can’t keep up with the demand. I’m thankful I was able to get my medication, I don’t know what I would do if I got a new prescription today, she explained.
Tara Dykens of Massachusetts told ABC she had a hard time getting her Zepbound prescription filled.
On a given afternoon, I think I tried to contact 20 to 25 pharmacies, he said.
A creator of content on TikTok named Hannah Rose Cotton detailed her problems getting Zepbound. She said she was finally able to get the medication, but as of Saturday, there was no pharmacy within 100 miles of her that had it.
There’s even more demand right now because people want to get their bodies in shape before summer hits, Marlee Bruno, owner of Mind, Body & Soul Medical Spa in Pensacola, Fla., told the Daily Mail.
We’re in Florida, where it’s practically summer already,” she said, “and people are starting to get into bikinis and really want to take the drug so they can lose weight fast. It’s possible to lose a significant amount of weight quickly with these, Bruno said.
As a rule, patients lose about a pound a week, but it’s usually a little more than that. After three months, they may have lost at least 12 pounds of fat, which is a significant loss and makes many patients feel much better, Bruno added.
Celebrities and non-celebrities alike have shared their successful weight loss journeys online, which has only increased the drug’s popularity. Emily Simpson, 47, of the Real Housewives of Orange County, said she lost 40 pounds on the medication.
Increased demand has led people to prescribe off-brand versions of the drug, which is legal in short supply.
Last year, The Post covered a story about how New York moms looking to lose baby weight were going to shady clinics to get compounded semaglutide, since many didn’t meet the requirements to receive the brand name.
Those who qualify can also get a compounded semaglutide, but many still want the brand-name version for reasons of safety and efficacy. There is no official generic version of weight loss drugs available.
The FDA has also issued warnings about compounded semaglutide in the past.
The FDA has received reports of adverse events after patients used compounded semaglutide. Patients should not use a compounded drug if an approved drug is available to treat a patient. Patients and healthcare professionals should understand that the agency does not review compounded versions of these drugs for safety, efficacy or quality, the FDA said.
Patients should be aware that some products sold as semaglutide may not contain the same active ingredient as FDA-approved semaglutide products and may be salt formulations. Products containing these salts, such as semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate, have not been shown to be safe and effective, his site continued.
#Ozempic #users #travel #miles #weight #loss #shortage
Image Source : nypost.com