Perth woman Leonie, 60, is facing a life-changing diagnosis.
“My lifespan will be shortened…my quality of life will not be the same as before,” she said.
Leonie is said to have peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage in her legs.
Loading Instagram content
The condition is believed to have been caused by her lack of access to the diabetes drug semaglutide, better known by its brand name Ozempic.
The weekly injection is an antidiabetic drug approved to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.
But off-label use for weight loss has led to a global shortage of Ozempic, leading to a surge in demand and widespread discussion about the drug on social media.
Last year, 175,000 patients in Australia accessed Ozempic through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and so far this year the number of users has soared to more than 268,000.
A spokesperson for the Therapeutic Goods Agency (TGA) said Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk reported higher supplies of Ozempic to Australia in 2023 than the previous year.
“While they continue to increase manufacturing capacity, it will take time to build supply levels to meet global and regional demand,” they said.
A spokesperson said the TGA’s September advisory, which asked prescribers not to start Ozempic in new patients, remains in place but is binding by law. It is said that it was not.
“In terms of advice to health professionals, these are strong recommendations based on extensive input from clinical and patient representatives, but are not mandated by law or regulation,” they said. .
Inconsistent supply creates a “roller coaster” for patients
Leonie first started taking Ozempic in February 2021, but when the supply dried up in May 2022, she went off for a year.
She is currently using her last injection pen as the drug is out of stock again.
“My blood sugar levels were too high this year, so I’m currently lowering my blood sugar levels and it’s under control, but it’s a little too slow for my health,” she said.
Leonie said she was frustrated to see people accessing Ozempic to lose weight when she was genetically predisposed to diabetes and needed Ozempic to stay healthy.
“I don’t understand the idea of giving a shot to someone who is already sick…it’s very upsetting,” she said.
Leonie said she was hesitant to restart the script because the restock schedule was unclear.
“I don’t think your body or mind can keep going through that. You can’t take a drug, stop it, take it again, stop it, and go back to where you were.”
Rachel Davies, an online diabetes education co-ordinator in Perth, has struggled to access Ozempic since March last year due to her type 2 diabetes.
She described the situation as a “roller coaster.”
“Whenever you can’t take your medication regularly, you’re back to the cycle of nausea and vomiting and really unpleasant side effects as you try to get used to the medication again,” she says.
“It was quite challenging.”
Diabetics left in ‘dangerous’ situation
Australian Pharmacy Guild Western Australia branch president Andrew Nziou said the global shortage was expected to continue for a long time, especially given the rapid increase in demand.
“Every once in a while you’ll see a trickle of supply coming in, but certainly overall the demand for this product completely outweighs the supply,” he said.
Nziou said off-label prescribing of Ozempic has led to much higher interest in the drug than expected, putting patients with type 2 diabetes in a difficult position.
“I think what we’re seeing again here is prescribers not following the guidelines, and that’s creating a dangerous situation for those who need it most,” he said. .
WA Diabetes Telemedicine Manager Jess Weiss said the global shortage of Ozempic was having a significant impact on Australian patients living with diabetes.
“It’s causing a lot of pain and a lot of anger,” she said.
“People are really at a loss as to what to do, especially if they’re relying on this medication to cope.”
Weiss said patients who are concerned about their medication should talk to their pharmacist or doctor to come up with an alternative plan.
“Ultimately, we will leverage other aspects of our medical team to come up with as many other strategies as possible to manage and support diabetes until this drug shortage ends,” she said.
