When GLP-1 medication for diabetes and weight reduction, exploded onto the scene two years in the past, sufferers scrambled to get their fingers on them. GLP-1s, which embrace Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, are so standard that it didn’t take lengthy for them to wind up in brief provide. In accordance with one latest survey performed by KFF Well being Monitoring, as many as one in eight adults has now used a GLP-1.
The demand reveals no indicators of slowing down, and consequently, counterfeit GLP-1 medication have gotten an more and more greater piece of the panorama—so massive in actual fact, that the World Well being Group (WHO) final week issued a warning to folks to be cautious of the pretend variations. Alongside the warning, drug makers Eli Lily and Novo Nordisk have filed lawsuits towards a number of entities to cease promoting the counterfeits.
“As soon as these drugs hit the market, the demand was so high that pharmacies began running out of them,” says Dr. Supriya Rao of Built-in Gastroenterology Consultants in Mass. “So med spas and compounding pharmacies began filling that gap for patients.”
A compounding pharmacy creates medicines utilizing base substances, slightly than dishing out the name-brand drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Med spas, many on-line sources, and compounding pharmacies don’t fall below the umbrella of FDA regulation, so there are not any safeguards on what a affected person may obtain from certainly one of these sources. “Compounded medications are essentially ‘copies’ of available medications, but they do not have the same safety, quality, and effectiveness assurances as approved drugs since these compounded versions lack FDA approval,” explains Dr. Carolyn Jasik, chief medical officer for Omada Well being.
Likewise, counterfeit medication—like what you may discover at a med spa or from an internet supply—are unregulated. “Counterfeit drugs, no matter what, are dangerous and can lead to serious health consequences,” says Jasik. “These medications can contain toxic doses, the wrong ingredients, or no active ingredients at all. In short, you’re paying for a drug that can either harm you or is doing nothing at all.”
A number of the dangers you may face with an unregulated type of GLP-1 embrace nausea and diarrhea, irregular blood sugar ranges, and infections on the sight of injection, amongst others.
Typically, sufferers are drawn to those various sources not simply because provide of the originals is brief, but additionally as a result of they are often prohibitively costly.
“Semaglutide medications are valuable and effective, but we are currently caught in a moment where the supply chain and cost can make these drugs inaccessible to much of the broader public,” says Jasik. “It’s important to note that this is a large part of what drives the development of counterfeit drugs in the first place. As a medical provider, I’m sad that this lifesaving medication is so difficult to access and that it’s come to counterfeit drugs that take advantage of people’s desires and medical needs.”
The take-home message: purchaser beware.
Learn how to keep away from pretend Ozempic, Wegovy and different GLP-1s
Purchase from state-licensed pharmacies solely
As tempting because it is perhaps to go for the cheaper alternate options available on the market—or just simply to get your fingers on a GLP-1 drug—the specialists suggest steering clear. “Consumers should purchase medications from state-licensed pharmacies or FDA-registered outsourcing facilities to minimize the risk of counterfeit products,” says Simona Dorf, PharmD, and medical pharmacist at First Databank Inc. “It’s essential to verify prescriptions from licensed healthcare providers and avoid drugs recommended by unverified online sources or social media influencers.”
Do your personal analysis when buying any remedy on-line
The FDA’s BeSafeRx web site is an efficient supply of credible info to teach your self earlier than hitting “buy.” The location warns towards web sites that pose as on-line pharmacies, and recommends customers solely purchase prescription medicines from a state-licensed on-line pharmacy, plus presents a location software to search out one. Moreover, it recommends speaking along with your physician about any meds you buy on-line.
Examine the packaging and labels
A positive signal that you simply’re coping with a pretend is misspellings on the label, or poor print high quality. Give every label going over to verify of its authenticity. Together with these purple flags, others embrace a lacking or added phrase to the drug’s title. You too can do a examine on the serial numbers and lot numbers by checking the FDA’s web site.
Keep away from compounding pharmacies
Rao additionally reminds customers that any remedy you set in your physique has the potential for unintended effects. These dangers solely develop in the event you’re not buying them from trusted sources. “Compounding pharmacies can be a slippery slope,” she says. “Depending on who is sourcing the medication, who knows what you’re getting from one day to the next. Injecting a drug from an unknown source is risky.”
There are additionally necessary steps to take with regard to weight-loss, whether or not you might be utilizing a GLP-1 remedy or not, stated Jasik. These embrace constant self-monitoring, like weigh ins; sustaining a balanced food plan; workouts to assist construct lean physique mass; and way of life programming to create a structured method.
Whether or not you select to make use of a weight-loss remedy or not, security must be entrance and heart to your method. And if the remedy is a part of that, much more so. “It is crucial to cross-check such information with healthcare providers,” stated Dorf. “Awareness of the risks associated with counterfeit GLP-1 drugs and taking proactive measures can significantly protect consumers. As demand for these medications continues to grow, vigilance from both consumers and regulatory bodies is essential to ensure safety and efficacy in treating diabetes and obesity.”
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