Diabetes patients still struggling to fill prescriptions

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A woman with type two diabetes has spoken of her deteriorating health after not being able to access ozempic. There are global shortages of the medication due to its intense presence on social media as a dieting wonder drug.

Transcript

00:00 Leone lives with type 2 diabetes.

00:05 The disease was well controlled until about 18 months ago when the medication she was

00:10 on, Ozempic, became almost impossible to buy after getting a reputation as a dieting wonder

00:16 drug.

00:17 Ozempic.

00:18 Ozempic.

00:19 I'm going to do the Ozempic weight loss shot.

00:21 I feel like screaming at them.

00:23 They need to go and lose weight another way.

00:26 They shouldn't be taking a diabetics medication.

00:30 I get very, very, very upset.

00:33 The 60-year-old was recently diagnosed with nerve damage.

00:37 She believes the symptoms could have been prevented if she was still able to regularly

00:41 take Ozempic.

00:42 To take an injection off somebody with a disease that's ill with this already, I can't grasp

00:50 that.

00:51 I get very cross.

00:53 My life will be shortened, my quality of life will not be the same.

01:00 Last year, 175,000 Australian patients accessed Ozempic via the PBS.

01:06 So far this year, that's increased by about 100,000.

01:11 The Pharmacy Guild says shortages are expected well into next year.

01:15 The demand has been blamed on the intense level of interest in the drug on social media.

01:20 I'm on the weight loss shots, honey, okay?

01:23 It's even been the butt of jokes at the Oscars.

01:26 When I look around this room, I can't help but wonder, is Ozempic right for me?

01:33 But to diabetics, it's no laughing matter.

01:36 I suffer from a lot of side effects while settling onto the drug.

01:40 And so anytime I can't get a constant supply, I go back into the cycle of nausea and vomiting.

01:46 I think what we're seeing here, once again, is prescribers just not following the guidelines.

01:52 And I think it's creating a situation where it's dangerous for the people who need it

01:55 the most.

01:56 A little bit too late for my health.

02:01 I'm not sure what the future, certainly next 12 months, is quite worrying for me.

02:06 The Therapeutic Goods Administration strongly recommends Ozempic be prescribed for those

02:11 with type 2 diabetes who don't have other treatment options.

02:15 However, doctors are not compelled to follow these guidelines.

02:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended