Diabetics lose as TikTokers take their meds for weight loss
Now the expensive drugs are in critically short supply around Australia for those who need it.
A diabetes drug is in critically short demand in Australia because it's being used for weight loss.
GPs are being ordered to stop prescribing a drug to TikTok users after it went viral as a weight loss hack and left diabetics unable to get the essential treatment.
For at least a month, diabetics have been unable to access the drug Ozempic at local pharmacies due to an “unexpected consumer demand” for the product.
GPs and specialists have been prescribing the drug off-label to patients for weight loss, according to a joint statement by the TGA and the drug manufacturer this week.
“The shortage is significantly affecting people using Ozempic for its approved use for type 2 diabetes,” the statement said.
“Limiting prescribing of semaglutide to people with type 2 diabetes is essential.”
Ozempic, which you inject into your belly once weekly, has been touted on TikTok as a miracle weight loss drug, with many sharing their #ozempicjourney.
The hashtag #ozempic has almost 70m views on TikTok, while #semaglutide has about 7.5m views.
The drug works on brain systems to quench hunger and on stomach emptying so you feel fuller, yet is only approved in Australia for those with type 2 diabetes.
Darcy O'Malley, from Perth, has updated her 24k followers on her #ozempicjourney on TikTok since she started it about three months ago.
The 27-year-old told The Oz her doctor had prescribed the drug after she discovered she had insulin resistance, which was possibly being caused by her being overweight.
"It's kind of like chasing your tail ... With insulin resistance, it's really hard to lose weight," she said.
She said she has "had hate" from people on TikTok for taking Ozempic "when I'm not type 2 diabetic" but said with insulin resistance she may well have ended up with diabetes.
O'Malley said wanted to share her journey on TikTok "to really help people. Educate a little bit more as I'm educating myself along this journey".
And people have told her it has helped them. On her videos, many comment with their own weight loss journeys and share their results.
The popularity for the drug on social media began around the time the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a higher dose semaglutide injection, sold as Wegovy, for chronic weight management mid last year.
But Australians appear to be have picked up on the weight loss trend. Very active Facebook groups with almost 30k members are dedicated to supporting Australians "who are using Ozempic for weight loss purposes".
Endocrinologist Dr Chris Nolan told The Oz, the medication is only approved here in Australia for the management of type 2 diabetes.
"It is effective at achieving weight loss and it can be used for that as well but it's not approved by the TGA for that purpose in Australia," Dr Nolan, who is also a professor of endocrinology as the ANU, said.
"It works well especially for people who are obese and overweight that have the disease. For those who can tolerate it, and it's not tolerated well by all users, but the patients who do well with it, do very well in managing their condition and weight."
The side effects of ozempic include indigestion, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation.
Dr Nolan said a shortage of the drug may be due to its popularity online but it would be an expensive method of weight loss.
For someone who has not been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but has been prescribed ozempic for weight loss by their GP to manage other conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome, the injections (which are self-administered weekly) would have traditionally cost about $1700 per course.
That's because it has only been approved by our medicines regulator, the TGA, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, not for dieting purposes.
It was listed on the PBS in July 2020 and the 40,000 patients who access it for diabetes now pay around $130 for their monthly supply.
Numerous Sydney pharmacists contacted said the drug had been out of stock for at least a month, while others claimed it had been in and out of stock for the last couple of months.
It is understood, the issue is similar in other cities and states.
Ekgot Singh, pharmacist at the Earlwood Chemist Warehouse said although there was "no harm in using it (for weight loss) ... it's causing panic and trouble for people who need it".
"Instead of taking the time with dieting and exercise, they are relying on something like this to lose weight," Singh said.
Other pharmacists said they had heard about the popularity of the drug on TikTok.
RACGP Diabetes network Chair and GP Dr Gary Deed said this "TikTok phenomena" might be engaging and "somewhat informing" patients but did not mean it would be effective.
He said much higher doses were used in effective obesity trials for the drug, as well as those authorised in the US. While Ozempic has a 1mg weekly limit in Australia, Wegovy is available in 2.4mg doses.
"All the efficacious management does involve supportive dietary change and physical activity. So, patients seeking through TikTok one stream one solution, management for obesity is probably a little naive," he said.
He added there are other medications authorised in Australia for weight management. Including liraglutide, sold here as Saxenda, which is not listed on the PBS and can cost up to $400 a month.
A Pharmaceutical Society of Australia spokesperson said those "phoning multiple pharmacies with stock queries is highly unlikely to be successful" due to pharmacies working through waiting lists even when stock does arrive.
The TGA and the company that makes the drug are both advising health professionals to prioritise those with diabetes at the moment, yet there is no supply.
"Feedback from our members is that it is very difficult to prioritise supply when you do not have any available stock in the first place," the PSA spokesperson said.
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