SAN ANTONIO — They call it “fake Zempic” or fake Ozempic. At first there were drug shortages, but now more people are ending up in the ER with counterfeit drugs.
The big problem with these counterfeit pens is that they contain insulin, not semaglutide like the real Ozempic pens. And if you inject insulin thinking you’re getting something completely different, it can have dangerous effects. “If you don’t need a doctor’s prescription, this is probably not the drug you think they’re prescribing,” says Jill Wagoner, M.D., Family Practice Concierge Physician.
Side effects of counterfeit Ozempic include hypoglycemia, seizures, blurred vision, kidney failure, and gallstones. Dr. Wagoner added, “Insulin can save lives when it’s needed, but it can be life-threatening when it’s not needed.”
So how can you tell if it’s fake? Authentic Ozempic cartons have the appropriate NDC and batch/lot number, and 4 needles, except for the 0.25/0.5 mg dose cartons, which have 6 needles. In addition to the batch/lot number, the counterfeit cartons are missing content and text such as the 0.5 mg dose and “For use in one patient only.”
Dr. Maria Escobar Basco is an endocrinologist and diabetes expert. She is also a clinical assistant professor of endocrinology at UT Health San Antonio, and she says, “Some people unknowingly commit suicide because they are injecting so much insulin into their bodies that they don’t know.” ” he said.
The FDA continues to monitor the situation and says, “While we know there are shortages of certain medicines and patients are having difficulty obtaining them, we want to reassure patients that they We encourage people to only obtain prescription drugs from pharmacies.” Here, FDA and state authorities can ensure the quality of drug manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and labeling. ”
The FDA has BeSafeRx Campaign Helping consumers learn how to safely purchase prescription drugs online.
