‘Havoc’: Woman deprived of lifesaving drug because people want to lose weight

A nationwide shortage of a lifesaving drug in high demand among weight-loss hopefuls has caused “havoc” in a woman’s body.

A woman with type 2 diabetes has not been able to get her required medication for nearly a month after its uptake as a miracle weight-loss solution.

Thousands of Australians have started using Ozempic (semaglutide) to shed kilos, with the once-a-week injectable drug helping to suppress hunger.

But it has led to a nationwide shortage of the drug and deprived people with diabetes from accessing the medication they need.

Ozempic is being used by thousands of Aussies to lose weight. Picture: A Current Affair/ 9 News

Ashleigh Rae has type 2 diabetes and has been without Ozempic for around a month.

This prolonged period without the medication has had major side effects, with Ms Rae saying “it’s wreaked havoc” on her body.

“Because Ozempic changes the way you digest food, when you suddenly have a withdrawal from it your body has to snap back to what it was before,” she said.

“That’s not been a pleasant process. You have a lot of digestive discomfort. For me, it’s quite extreme.

“I found it really hard to go out in public because you just didn’t know what was going to happen or when.

“Without it your blood sugar goes a bit crazy, which means the rest of your diabetes can be really hard to manage.”

Ms Rae is also worried, as her immune system is compromised by not being able to manage her blood sugar properly, and Covid is still rampant in the community.

She had been on Ozempic for a number of months before it “suddenly” went out of stock, a loss she has severely felt because it was “working so well” for her.

“My local pharmacy which has looked after me since I was a kid told me to go other places. I did but couldn’t find it anywhere,” she said.

“I went from having my pharmacist order in Ozempic because it was so new and nobody was on it to all of sudden there’s no stock anywhere in Australia in the space of one script.

“I was really happy with the impact it was having. I was managing my blood sugar really well and I was eating less.”

Ms Rae has been told “in theory” it should be back in stock this week, but there are no guarantees.

Diabetes medicine Ozempic is in short supply. Picture: Supplied.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Trent Twomey told 2GB last Friday that Ozempic wasused for weight loss but it is only approved for people with type 2 diabetes as prescribed by their doctor.

“So what the drug Ozempic has been approved for use in Australia for – it’s strictly for those with type 2 diabetes who need to lose some weight,” he said.

“You’ve got to have a certain body mass index to able to be eligible.”

Australians without diabetes have been able to access Ozempic through “Dr Google”, with online weight-loss doctors issuing the drug to patients using a questionnaire and without even speaking to them.

“There’s been these entrepreneurial GPs who are popping up these apps that are issuing a script without them ever seeing a patient,” Mr Twomey said.

“There’s nothing illegal about it, a bit immoral I might say, but nothing illegal. This is what’s driving up that demand unfortunately.”

Pharmacy Guild of Australia Trent Twomey says the method people are using to obtain Ozempic is ‘immoral’. Picture: Allen Mechen.

Ms Rae made it clear that she did not want to shame or condemn anyone for using Ozempic as a weight-loss tool, acknowledging it is a complex health issue with several intersecting factors.

Her frustration is not with the consumer but those who are overselling it, especially after hearing stories of doctors suggesting Ozempic to their patients out of nowhere in general conversations.

“It’s really frustrating when we hear stories about people who are using it to lose just a few kilos,” she said.

“Taking it because you want to lose a little bit of weight like a couple of kilos versus people who actually really need it for serious weight issues and diabetes is very different.”

Healthcare company Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals last week said it was experiencing “strong demand for Ozempic”.

“Our priority is to ensure people living with type 2 diabetes are able to access Ozempic and we are taking actions towards continued stable supply,” it said in a statement.