As more Americans are prescribed weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy following celebrity endorsements, people who depend on such medications have struggled to access them.

Sarah Sostak, a medical assistant at Mary Walker Health Center, felt the shortage personally.

She was prescribed Wegovy in the months leading up to her gastric bypass surgery with no issue. However, once she was put back on the medication after her surgery, her pharmacy was having issues with its accessibility. This made it difficult for her to restart the medication on time in the scramble to find another pharmacy.

“It was a little worrying,” Sostak said. “But I was one of the luckier ones.”

In the past two years, there has been an increase in the off-labeling of anti-diabetic medications. Off-labeling is the practice of prescribing a drug for a condition it is not typically intended for.

Off-labeling is common and legal in the medical profession. In fact, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, one in five prescriptions are written for off-label use.

Such is the case for medications containing semaglutide, which is meant to assist type-2 diabetics with maintaining their blood glucose levels. Ozempic has been approved for this matter, while Wegovy has been approved in 2021 for obesity.

But access to the drugs can be expensive, especially for people without health insurance. About 15% of American adults have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and more than 40% have obesity.

Allison German, a nurse practitioner at Mary Walker, has aided patients with diabetes and prescribed similar medications. She said that when it comes to prescriptions for her patients, “one medication is not superior to another or more preferred.”

The goal, she said, is to help the patient control their glucose levels in a manner that will be the most accessible and comfortable for them.

Although the more popular forms of these medications are injectable, they are also available as pills.

Endorsements from celebrities like Sharon Osbourne, talk show host and wife of rockstar Ozzy Osbourne, have boosted interest in antidiabetics for weight loss, even if it is unnecessary. Osbourne recently admitted to using Ozempic to lose weight despite not having a high enough body mass index (BMI) to qualify.

On an episode of Piers Morgan’s “Uncensored,” Osbourne revealed that she could not stop losing weight and had reduced herself to under 100 pounds.

Columbus Park, a center for eating disorder help, has done research into the uses of Ozempic and how harmful it can be for those using it who are non-diabetic, like in the case of Osbourne.

It found that Ozempic can create gastrointestinal issues, along with increasing the risk for hypoglycemia, pancreatitis and thyroid tumors.

“The emergence of Ozempic as a weight loss aid outside of its approved indication raises significant concerns,” the center states on their website. “While some individuals may experience weight loss with Ozempic, the risks and potential health consequences associated with off-label use cannot be overlooked.”

Novo Nordisk, the company responsible for both Wegovy and Ozempic, has been restricting starter doses of Wegovy, which could be harmful for Sostak as she returns to that dosage.

The recurrent shortages of Wegovy for weight loss have led to an increase in off-label prescriptions of Ozempic for that matter instead of treating diabetes.

Sostak acknowledged that Wegovy has gotten a bad reputation, but for her, the results have been nothing but positive.

Most of her weight loss is from her surgery, but since starting Wegovy she has lost over 50 pounds.

Once she hits her desired weight, she said, her dosage of the medication will be lowered for maintenance.

Going forward, Sostak is confident in her supply and has little concern over its accessibility.

German clarified that these medications have to be taken in coalition with an effort towards healthy diets and exercise, as they help with the patient’s ability to metabolize and control appetite. To receive a prescription for these medications, you must have a BMI over 27 or be suffering from or at risk for developing diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.

Solutions for this now two-year shortage of medication for people with diabetes have focused on blood sugar management and insulin. As a shortage continues for those who rely on these medications, there is a range of possible solutions.

While there may be alternative options for medicine for those with insurance coverage, much like the process of getting prescribed Ozempic or Wegovy, depends on patients’ preferences and health history.

Image by Nelson de Lima Filho via Wikimedia Commons