Some British Columbians with diabetes say they’re increasingly desperate for life-saving medicine.
The state has been facing a severe shortage of Ozempic, a shot used to treat diabetes, for months. Ozempic is a fad made popular by celebrities and influencers, and some people use it to lose weight.
Pat Douglas, who has type 2 diabetes, said she couldn’t get her hands on Ozempic last weekend and forgot to take the dose she needs to take at the same time every week. Failure to do so may affect blood sugar levels.
Douglas said she called at least a dozen pharmacies from Richmond to White Rock to Langley, but was told the drugs were out of stock.
“You call and they’re like, ‘We don’t have anything right now,’ and they put you on a waiting list so you can pick up your package whenever it arrives,” she said.
“Diabetes should be given top priority.”
He added that this is not the first time Douglas has faced this obstacle, having faced the difficulty three or four times before.
Douglas says the trend of people using drugs to lose weight is harming those who really need them.
“It’s used far too often as a miracle cure for weight loss. If someone is severely obese and needs Ozempic to lose weight, fine with that, but when a diabetic should “There’s a problem with people who are trying to lose 20 pounds or 10 pounds and have their doctor prescribe Ozempic. It’s a top priority,” she told City News.
Douglas added that she feels lucky because she is taking another diabetes medication, which she believes helps stabilize her blood sugar levels.
She feels part of the solution is if Canada can manufacture the drug.
“And you should do that as soon as possible, because this is dependent on other countries and big pharmaceutical companies. You’re at their mercy,” Douglas said.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Douglas was able to track down a pharmacy with two boxes of 0.5ml dosing pens. She said she took two doses to make up one full dose, but she doesn’t know if she’ll get her next shot on time.
Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, told Health Canada that it expects to experience intermittent shortages until at least spring 2024.
“Novo Nordisk expects intermittent shortages of Ozempic 1 mg pens to continue until March 31, 2024; “We are reporting intermittent shortages due to increasing global product demand and overall supply constraints.” Health Canada website.
The Canadian Diabetes Association says: monitoring the situation And we tell people who need this drug to contact their doctor to discuss other treatments.
