Ozempic users travel 1,000 miles for weight loss drug amidst shortage
Taking weight loss drugs is no longer the road less traveled, and people are going over 1,000 miles to get their hands on semaglutide meds Wegovy and Ozempic.
The popularity of these drugs has led to a nationwide shortage and people are willing to go to great lengths to get their prescriptions filled.
Other popular weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, both tirzepatides, are out of stock until July and shortages of the drugs could last into 2025, drug manufacturer Eli Lily warned. Slim pickings lead to drastic measures, according to a doctor.
Dr. Angela Fitch, a New York City doctor who specializes in obesity medicine, told the Daily Mail that she’s seen patients come from as far away as Ohio, Virginia and Florida to get prescriptions filled.
She said another patient even drove 400 miles from Maine.
A 35-year-old mom and advertising executive from New York City who wished to remain anonymous told The Post that she’s struggled to fill her Wegovy prescription from pharmacies ever since being prescribed. Both Wegovy and Ozempic are manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
“After being prescribed the medication in February 2023, it took me over a month to find a local pharmacy that carried Wegovy,” she said.
“The local, independently owned pharmacy filled my prescription and then told me they could no longer provide the medication for me as my insurance wouldn’t allow the pharmacy to turn a profit off my prescription. I then began researching mail-order prescription services. Thanks to Amazon, I am now able to get my medication. I have, however, had issues with refills as the medication wasn’t available,” she added.
However, even Amazon has had trouble keeping the meds in stock and people are willing to get the medicine out of state.
“With that said, Amazon is now no longer accepting new prescriptions for GLP-1 medications as they are unable to meet demand. I am grateful 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, from Massachusetts, told ABC that she’s struggled to fill her Zepbound prescription.
“In one given afternoon, I believe I tried to contact between 20 and 25 pharmacies,” she said.
A content creator on TikTok named Hannah Rose Cotton detailed her issues getting Zepbound. She said she was finally able to get the drug, but as of Saturday, there were no pharmacies within 100 miles of her that had it.
There is even more demand right now because people want to get their bodies in shape before the summer hits, Marlee Bruno, who owns medical spa Mind, Body & Soul Medical in Pensacola, Fla., told the Daily Mail.
“We are in Florida, where it is practically already summer,” she said, “and people are starting to get into their bikinis and really want to get on the drug so they can lose weight quickly. It is possible to lose a significant amount of weight fast on these,” Bruno said.
“As standard, patients lose about one pound a week — but it tends to be a little bit 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 popularity of the drugs. Emily Simpson, 47, from the Real Housewives of Orange County, said she lost 40 pounds on the medication.
The surge in demand has led people to prescribe non-brand name compounded versions of the drug, which is legal in a shortage.
Last year, The Post covered a story about how NYC moms looking to lose baby weight were flocking to “shady” clinics to get their hands on compounded semaglutide, since many didn’t meet the requirements to be prescribed the brand name.
Those who do meet requirements can also get a compounded semaglutide but many still want the brand version for safety and effectiveness reasons. There is no official generic version of the weight loss drugs available.
The FDA has also issued warnings about compounded semaglutide in the past.
“FDA has received adverse event reports after patients used compounded semaglutide. Patients should not use a compounded drug if an approved drug is available to treat a patient. Patients and health care professionals should understand that the agency does not review compounded versions of these drugs for safety, effectiveness, or quality,” the FDA has declared.
“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 the salt formulations. Products containing these salts, such as semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate, have not been shown to be safe and effective,” their site continued.
