(NewsNation) — Weight-loss drugs, including the ones originally invented to treat Type 2 diabetes, have become victims of their own success. But the actual victims may be those who have depended on the expensive “forever drugs” and now can’t find them for any price.
“Is this going to be my life?” asked Maez Waibel. The 29-year-old Pennsylvania woman said she lost more than 30 pounds in nine months using Wegovy. But then her local pharmacy ran out – as did every other pharmacy within a few hours’ drive, she told The Washington Post.
Without Wegovy for three months, Waibel said she put the weight back on. Once she did find a new source, it was at a lower dose – but better than nothing, she said.
Waibel’s story is being repeated across the country, as shortages of Wegovy persist due to massive demand fueled by a barrage of TV commercials.
Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, told the Post it is trying to manage shipments in the face of the skyrocketing number of prescriptions doctors are writing for the drugs.
Some people have turned to compound pharmacies to not only replace drugs in short supply but also to save money. But medical professionals warn of a new level of danger.
“It’s an unnecessary risk to use compounded versions of these medications. We strongly recommend against it,” said Dr. Cecilia Low Wang, an expert on endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at UC Health in Colorado.
Compound pharmacies make small batches of prescription drugs to order, as opposed to mass production. But, compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and regulators can’t vouch for their safety or quality.
“If a compounding pharmacy tells you that there’s a certain amount of the active drug in an injection, that can’t be verified independently,” said Low Wang, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
UC Health offers some tips for dealing with shortages of the popular drugs:
- Start early. Halfway through this month’s doses, start calling around to pharmacies to find a source of next month’s doses.
- Be flexible. You may need to call multiple pharmacies and tell your doctor to send a new prescription to a new pharmacy every month.
- Try getting on a waiting list. With an active prescription, pharmacy workers will try every day to get the medication and will call if they happen to get an extra dose or two.
- Consider switching to a different medication. You’ll probably want to stick with the same drug if it’s working and there are no significant side effects. But switching to a different brand may be better than going without anything.