the effective medication for diabetes that many use as a “miracle” to lose weight

Patients with type 2 diabetes, a disease on the rise that is estimated to affect more than 5.3 million Spaniards, have been struggling for months to find one of the most prescribed drugs to treat this disease, which globally affects 422 million people. people.

Talk later Ozempicone of the GLP-1 analogue medications, which not only effectively improve blood glucose control, but also help to lose weight.

This drug only It is administered to those patients who, in addition to having been diagnosed with diabetes, also suffer from obesity (BMI between 25 and 29.9).

Why is Ozempic sold out?

Juan Pedro Risquezvice president of the General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges, tells this newspaper that its improper use is one of the main reasons that explain the shortage in pharmacies inside and outside our borders.

And it is that not a few endocrine They are prescribing it to patients who have overweight problems, but not diabetes.

“Supply problems continue, and not only in Spain, but also in neighboring countries,” highlights the president of the Jaén College of Pharmacists.

• “It is a medication that requires a medical prescription and is indicated for diabetic patients with obesity. Taking it without a medical diagnosis and, of course, without a prescription from a doctor, can put our health at risk”.

Currently, the availability of this type of medication is “intermittent.” The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has warned that as stated in their leaflet, they are “authorized” to improve glycemic control in the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus “not sufficiently controlled with diet and exercise.” .

• Therefore, the use of these treatments should be prioritized “under authorized conditions”, which is none other than glycemic control in patients with diabetes.

The supply problem, the agency indicates, is extendable to other injectable drugs in prefilled pens such as Trulicity and Bydureon.

A spike in demand for Ozempic in the last quarter

The peak in demand for this type of medicine, which has emerged in the last quarter of this year, has caused the pharmaceutical industry to “not keep up,” although there are alternative treatments “which are also injectable” and have the same effectiveness.

• “We do not have exact data, but it does seem that there has been an increase in the consumption of this medication (Ozempic) because, in addition to the intended indication, the fact that some endocrinology specialists are treating obesity with this drug has been added.”

On social networks, this medicine has achieved a popularity that is not typical of a medical product.

Celebrities like Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, have shared on their account the “secret” of their diet: “fasting, Ozempic and staying away from appetizing food.”

For this reason, the pharmacist sends a clear message after many celebrities have shared on their social networks that they use this medication for a purpose other than that for which it was approved.

• “Requires medical prescription, and no person is going to get this product without a prescription. And, furthermore, it can cause an alteration in your health, since it is not convenient to take them on your own.”

Ozempic: how much does it cost and how is this medication administered?

As you can read in its prospectus, Ozempic, from Novo Nordisk, contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which helps the body reduce blood glucose levels only when sugar levels are too high. It also helps prevent heart disease.

It can only be used in patients with type 2 diabetes, over 18 years of age, and when other medications indicated for this disease have not worked along with a healthy and balanced diet and physical exercise.

This drug creates a Feeling full by mimicking the hormone that regulates appetite. And the results reflect that the reduction in body weight in one year ranges from 6% to 15%.

The 1.5 milliliter prefilled pen is priced at 128.15 euros. But since it is a medicine financed by the National Health System, the cost for patients drops to 4.24 euros.

The starting dose is 0.25 milligrams, once a week for one month.

The dose then increases to 0.5 milligrams per week, which can go up to 2 milligrams “if blood sugar is not adequately controlled.”

Its side effects include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, which can cause dehydration, intense and continuous pain in the stomach area, experiencing an episode of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or worsening vision if you suffer from previously diabetic eye disease.

Sales on the black market, which are usually counterfeits, skyrocket

Just one simple search in an internet browser to realize that, in recent months, the illegal sale of medications that require a medical prescription has increased. Not only because of the supply problems suffered by certain drugs, but also because of the impossibility of buying them without a prescription from a doctor.

Despite the frontal opposition of the laboratories, the Internet has become a true black market for all types of treatments: from anxiolytics such as Diazepam or Orphidaluntil Ozempic. On the Internet, its price can exceed 150 euros.

• The General Council of Pharmaceutical Associations warns that “special care must be taken because, in addition to the health problems that the acquisition of a medicine without it being really necessary can generate, it is also likely that they are counterfeits.”

The illegal sale of medicines that “alter the health of citizens is irresponsible, in a system as guaranteeing as that of Spanish pharmacies, and which is very dangerous.”

The acquisition of medicines subject to medical prescription can only be done in pharmacies open to the public, legally authorized and that appear on the list published by the competent authority. Never through the Internet, as stated in Royal Decree 870/2013 of November 8.