Some pharmacies now refuse to store Ozempic

The popular drug becomes more difficult to get their hands.


Drug shortages are nothing new these days. From the pandemic, many of us have used to hear that our drugs are rare, adderall For All types of antibiotics . But if you are looking for Ozempic, the diabetes drug that helps some people who help some people lose massive quantities, you may not be able to get your hands on it even if your doctor gives you a prescription. It is not necessarily due to a shortage ( There is certainly one ), but because pharmacies choose not to store it in the first place.

NBC News recently reported that some independent pharmacists decided that the transport of Ozempic was not worth it. Nate Hux , owner of Pickerington Pharmacy in Ohio, told the point of sale that he Decree to store the medication Last summer, after realizing that it was not good for business. Read more to find out why he and others tell customers to find out elsewhere if they want to fill their ozempic prescriptions.

Read this then: People say Ozempic is a miracle of weight loss. Is it worth the brutal side effects?

Ozempic is very popular at the moment.

A Drug box of Ozempic containing Semaglutide for treatment of type 2 diabetes and long-term weight management on a table and in the background different medical books.
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Even if you do not take ozempic or do not know someone who is, you have probably seen the big titles on celebrities Use the drug to lose weight . Or maybe you've heard of "Face Ozempic" and you wondered what, exactly, it's. (For the record, the Ozempic face refers to hollow cheeks and sagged skin Many patients develop after losing a large amount of weight quickly.) According to Wall Street's journal , J.P.Morgan analysts reported that doctors in the United States Ozempic prescribed To more than 313,000 people in the last week of January, a jump of 78% compared to the previous year. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

Keri Hurley-Kim , Pharmd, Associate clinical teacher At the University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, told Better life That drugs like Ozempic "increase in popularity as a treatment of obesity, but also for diabetes (their initially studied indication). These are some of the most effective drugs we have for both conditions". She says that because Ozempic is given as "a single injection every week", it is a very easy option for many people.

Read this then: If you notice this in the bathroom, check the diabetes, the experts say .

There is a certain confusion on what exactly Ozempic is.

man with diabetes injecting Ozempic into his abdomen
MySkin / Shutterstock

Ozempic is the brand name of Semaglutide, explains Hurley-Kim, noting that the drug is also sold under the Wegovy brand. "Wegovy is approved by the FDA for weight loss and is available in slightly higher doses, while Ozempic is approved for diabetes," she said. "Because they are the same drug, Ozempic is often used out of AMM for weight loss if Wegovy is not available or not covered by insurance."

Hurley-Kim says that Ozempic and Wegovy "have fewer safety problems and additional advantages compared to other weight loss and diabetes drugs". For example, when used for weight loss, she says they can prevent diabetes in those who have a pre-diabetes, and they can lower the Risk of heart attack And a stroke in people with diabetes. "[Medicines] are always started at low doses to avoid serious nausea while the body gets used to the medication, and the dose is increased slowly to the maximum target dose or the maximum dose that the patient can tolerate (for the 'Obesity), or where we see a good therapeutic effect (for diabetes), "she says.

"There are other similar drugs for diabetes and tends to cause weight loss when treating diabetes, but these have not been approved for obesity and are not so frequently used," noted -Is she.

Medicines may not be worth it for pharmacies to be in stock.

Shot of a young woman browsing the shelves of a pharmacy
istock

Why do some pharmacies choose not to store a diabetes drug that works so well for many people? "There are a few reasons why pharmacies may not have drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy," said Hurley-Kim. "Many independent pharmacies [not channels like CVS or Walgreens , for example] in particular, are less paid to distribute these drugs than they are in charge. Pharmacies are not authorized to refuse to distribute individual prescriptions according to negative reimbursement rates, but they may choose not to transport certain drugs completely. For an independent pharmacy, losing $ 50 on a single prescription is a big problem, especially if there are many patients who use it and fill it every month, "she explains.

"Because there is also a continuous shortage, some pharmacies are simply not able to store these drugs in a coherent way," adds Hurley-Kim. "Pharmacies of the clinic where I practice have not been able to receive a reliable supply of certain forces for months."

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If you can't find Ozempic, you have options.

Female pharmacist discusses prescription medication with senior customer at pharmacy
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What should they search for semaglutide, whether under the name of Ozempic or Wegovy, do so if they cannot find a pharmacy for Fill their prescription ?

"It's a really difficult challenge," says Hurley-Kim. “I have patients who had to call many different pharmacies to try to find them; Some had to change pharmacies several times depending on where their medication is available when they need to fill it. We can sometimes go to a similar drug if an equivalent dose is available. The worst case is a significant interruption in therapy (more than two weeks), as it often means that we have to restart at the smallest dose and increase over time, which can take months. ""

Doctor based in New York Randa Jaafar , Md, CEO of Fille Studio , offers a suggestion in case your pharmacy indicates that supply problems, not profit problems, prevent them from filling the prescriptions. "When pharmacies get a prescription for medication, they have to reach the wholesaler and get the medication. Some pharmacies store it, but in a compound version (something they do in their pharmacy), so they don't have to Hand your hand to a wholesaler, "she said Better life . "Some pharmacies do not have composition capacities, so they are labeled as" do not store it ". The difference is that aggravated pharmacies can do it internally. Non -comprietary pharmacies do not store it, but they all have The ability to reach out to a wholesaler and order the medication, "she said.

Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. Regarding the medication you take or any other health issue you have, always consult your health care provider directly.


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