College Station diabetes patients search for answers as nationwide ‘diet drug’ shortage continues

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Earlier this year, KBTX reported on how a national shortage of ‘diet’ drugs, such as Ozempic, left a local patient without an essential medication.

Ozempic, and drugs with similar effects like Wegovy and Mounjaro, are most widely known for their weight loss effects. However, these drugs are also used to treat Type 2 Diabetes.

According to the FDA drug shortage tracker, several dosage amounts of these medications, listed under their active ingredients of semaglutides and tirzepatide, are in short supply due to an increase in demand.

While there are particular doses available across multiple brands, it’s not the one College Station man, Charles Rogers relies on to manage his diabetes.

“I went to my pharmacy about two weeks ago to pick up my refill and they said, ‘we can’t get it,’” Rogers relayed.

As a result, Rogers was left with no choice but to increase his dose to an in-stock option. Even under the watch of his doctor, he’s said he was worried about how the increase might impact his health.

“There are side effects that concern me. I mean, one is depression,” shared Rogers.

However, upping the dose is, according to Rogers, better than going without the medication entirely, which he was forced to do earlier in the year when the shortages were more severe.

Rogers attributed the shortage to how effective these drugs are for losing weight.

“You have two people dipping into the same pool and the pool is running dry,” Rogers said.

Obesity medicine specialist Dr. Linda Meade told KBTX weight loss patients on these medications have typically exhausted other options without seeing results.

“I can understand when you struggle for your whole life to try to lose weight and nothing works. Then you have something that can be very effective, but I think is really important to know what you’re getting into,” advised Dr. Meade.

This shortage has led compound pharmacies to create their own versions of the drug, something experts caution against using for safety reasons.

Dr. Meade, who practices at Brazos Weight & Wellness Medicine, said medications like this are serious long-term commitments.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, if you’re not doing it correctly, you can get rebound weight gain if you don’t take it in a correct way,” Dr. Meade warned.

But, Dr. Meade’s patients have reported success in finding their medication, an indicator that the shortages are improving.

“I think that the strain has eased off some and it is still in high demand, but a little bit easier to locate,” added Dr. Meade.

The FDA drug shortage tracker shows some of the shortages are estimated to ease up by the end of August, including the dosage Rogers needs.