Diabetes drug trending on TikTok now causing an FDA shortage

TikTok’s newest phenomenon is drawing in millions of viewers. It’s about the latest trend on how to lose weight fast by using diabetes medication.

However, the FDA is declaring a shortage because of the new craze.

Ozempic is the new TikTok trend promising easy weight loss. Hashtags like #Ozempic and #Ozempic Challenge have over 450 million views combined.

You can watch videos about people’s weight loss journey for hours, but not everyone is obsessed.

“They should find a way to write the scripts for diabetics first, that the pharmacies have priority on diabetics,” Lee said, a type 2 diabetic.

Over the phone, Lee talked about his struggle to get his Trulicity prescription. It’s another once-weekly injectable drug, like Ozempic, to improve blood sugar in type 2 diabetics.

Lee said he only has two Trulicity pens left before running out, and now he’s getting nervous that he will probably need to switch to a different medication.

“I’ve worked hard to get where I am with my A1C and it’s a perfect balance. I understand how to eat now and everything like that and the change is stressful.”

Those two FDA-approved drugs are designed for diabetes management, but many non-diabetics like that one of the side effects are tied to weight loss.

Many people are also gravitating towards Wegovy, Ozempic’s cousin.

Even Elon Musk, the maker of Tesla, admitted on Twitter that he used Wegovy to help him get fit.
Talk show host, Andy Cohen tweeted about the increase in the use of Ozempic.

“Why is it a route they want to take? Well, the reason why is because it’s effective,” Assemblyman John McDonald said, D-Cohoes.

McDonald, who is also a licensed pharmacist, said although the drug is popular, the FDA has now listed a shortage of Ozempic and Wegovy.

“Let’s be clear, it’s going to be for individuals who truly need to lose weight. Physicians are not going to be prescribing this to help people become tomorrow’s models by any stretch of the imagination,” he said, “They’re prescribing it because they have a patient who is diagnosed with obesity.”

There are cheaper medication alternatives for diabetics, but McDonald said it’s not as desirable because you have to take those medications more frequently.

McDonald said diabetics shouldn’t panic yet. Make sure to order your prescriptions with plenty of time before your current dosage runs out.