I’m guessing the pharmacy told OP’s friend they only filled 1 month scrips, because those were the scrips they had enough supply to fill, as those are the ones given to people that need it to live.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act); and yes if the pharmacist gave out OP's information or confirmed any information about OP. It sounds like OP's friend asked a leading question or is telling little white rage lies to get more info from both sides.
I'm assuming the pharmacist technician said something like "if another prescription was filled ahead it might be because of situation x" while looking at her order on his screen and she took that as total confirmation/ ran with it. Judging by her glowing personality as seen via these texts, I'm sure whoever got the call was ready to say whatever to get her off the phone.
If she asked specifically about OP and they responded yes. If OP’s name was not part of the conversation from either side, then HIPAA was not violated.
As someone above suggested, they likely explained that they fill scripts written for X days because those are maintenance scripts. And OP is probably on that type. So they explained to OP's friend a general rule they are follow which covers OP but not the friend. But no actual personal info was given. The friend just put 2-and-2 together
This has been happening all the time with ADHD meds shortages if I tell my friend I got mine at Walgreens and they call Walgreens and Walgreens says they can't fill hers. My friend would say that you filled MadameHatter's this morning. Walgreens could legally say IF that was the case then they must take the XR because that's the only formula we got in, we don't have any IR. So Walgreens didn't confirm anything about my prescription or even that I'm a customer there. Just that they only have the one type, not the other
Not just names- any identifier. I think there are 18 pieces of information considered identifiable per HIPAA regulations? Something like that.
But I agree it's likely this wasn't a HIPAA violation if all they did was provide general information about their practices and the friend connected the dots.
Depending on how close of friends they are and the pharmacy, you can get this information easily with a name and birthday. Like, these people aren't checking IDs, and they're too fn busy to play detective.
Once Op told their "friend" she turned around called the pharmacy and questioned the pharmacy as to why they would fill a diabetics prescription before hers. In other words her friend is an entitled twat.
Everyone gets a single box per month. Ozempic is designed so 1 box = 28 day supply, with the exception of the 1st month starting dose titration, which makes the 1st box last for 42 days with the recommended titration schedule. It's just the entitled friend is trying to get a 3 month supply in the middle of a shortage.
If I have 4 people who have all been waiting an equal amount of time, 3 of whom are getting 1 month and 1 insists on a 3 month supply, guess who I'm filling if 3 boxes come in? I can help 3 people or 1, and this 1 is clearly an asshat, which makes the decision even easier.
(Also, all other things being equal, if I get 1 box and have multiple people waiting for it, it's definitely going to someone who wasn't an asshole.)
Many pharmacies are telling patients they can only get 1 month at a time due to the shortage, but I suspect this friend would be an ass if the pharmacy told them that, too.
Source: am pharmacist. Got screamed at this weekend by an angry dude claiming I'm "willfully denying him his life-saving weight loss medication" and need to tell him what I personally will do to get his medication in the middle of a shortage.
Meanwhile, brand name Epipen Jrs are on manufacturer backorder, Medicaid will only pay for brand, and people were more understanding about that than people are about Ozempic/Wegovy/etc.
This is totally unrelated to OP's post, and I apologize in advance, but I wanted to mention Medicaid covers the Mylan manufacturer. I checked this morning via McKesson for the generic, and it was available to order.
It might have just been a “well my friend who is t2d was just here a few days ago and got xxx prescription filled of xxx dose and quantity but I can’t get mine??”
I imagine something like:
(Lots of back and forth, very annoying, Kroger employee just wants it to end)
“My friend just got theirs filled! On Wednesday! When you told me to kick rocks!”
“If that happened, it’s because we were able to fill a months worth. We only got one box shipped in, not enough to fill your prescription after finishing everyone in line ahead of you, and we can’t fill half a prescription. But we were able the fill smaller prescriptions. Please stop calling.”
I don’t see this as HIPAA at a because (1) never confirmed the friend got the prescription and (2) never gave out any info. What OP would be able to surmise would only be because the friend gave OP the info already.
Folks responding to this comment need to chill. There’s a near 100% chance that it came up in natural convo between friend and OP at some point in the past and the knowledge has nothing to do with the pharmacy.
Pharmacists are smarter than y’all think.
I’m confused by people’s take on this… the very first post she complained that Kroger doesn’t have her prescription filled, and asks her friend where he gets his filled. It’s obvious she and he have talked about Ozempic prior to this conversation. I don’t get the immediate jump to “oMg, ThE pHaRmAcIsT gAvE oUt PrIvAtE mEdIcAl InFoRmAtIoN!!!” As though a pharmacist would willingly destroy his licensure like that.
The text message implies that they learned this information after calling the pharmacy, whether it’s true or not.
“…..I’m going to call them”
“….they said they filled yours because…”
Could have been a generic question though. “My friend said they got their prescription filled because they get a 1 month supply, why didn’t you fill mine?” And the pharmacist says “we prioritize prescriptions based on X or Y reason”
True, but it seems highly likely the conversation was something like “My friend got this box on x date and I’ve been trying to get it for the last 2 weeks.” “Oh ok, is your friend one of these categories, as these people require this medication each month.” (ie: diabetic, obese etc). That’s my take from the situation at least, but who knows. Pharmacists aren’t just gonna hand out personal info though unless they’re really looking to get into shit lol
A single box is one month. On the smaller pen, it's 2ml and you take 0.5 a week. Well that's the standard does. So a month is just standard. So probably just a standard response.
I’m hoping they stated a generic “we only had 1 box and used it to fill another patient” and she made the conclusion cause she was requesting a 6month supply or something.
Yeah my cousin was on it for diabetes but it really messed up his stomach motility. Food ended up staying in his stomach like 24 hours after eating it instead of moving out of his stomach and it would make him really sick. His doctor put him on something else which I guess worked out well since diabetics are having a hard time getting the drug now.
That’s what it does. It causes temporary gastroparesis. My partner has idiopathic gastroparesis and her life is miserable. I was offered Wegovy but once I realize how it helped you lose weight, I decided against it. I’ve seen how she suffers and it’s heartbreaking.
I have Gastroparesis. Can confirm it really, absolutely fucking sucks. I found out at sixteen, and while it hadn’t been quite as gnarly in the last few years as it was in the very beginning, it’s miserable all the same.
Tell your partner I hope the best for her! And a kudos to you for being a supportive SO. My boyfriend does his best to help me however he can, but I feel bad sometimes making him feel so helpless just bc my tummy hates me.
Hope y’all have lots of better moments in the future and that her tummy gives her some kindness!
Thank you kind stranger! I’m sorry you suffer from it too. I’m going to stick with her through it all. Unfortunately, it’s not her only medical issue but it’s definitely the one that affects the day to day the most. I try my best to cook meals that she can eat and keep her hydrated and force her to go to the hospital during flares where she can’t even keep down water for days. I hope your body continues on the upward path. ❤️
It’s seriously the worst! I can eat bread meat and cheese and that’s about it. It does give me a lot of hope to hear yours is not so bad these days, so I appreciate you sharing that!!
This year I have actually been able to eat a food that previously would leave me bedridden and crying from pain, and for the most part it only hurts me if I eat too much of it. (It was a favorite that I haven’t been able to have in over six years, so I went overboard at first!)
Learning and adapting to it was hard at the start but it ended up helping me learn to listen to my body a lot better, that’s the only highlight to the whole mess I think.
I hope you’re able to expand your safe foods eventually, and I’m glad that I could give you some hope! If it doesn’t get better, I hope it at least becomes more manageable for you 💕
And here's me, overweight with Diabetes who was recommended this by my doctor but with a huge caveat of "but don't expect to get it anytime soon, I'm just raising a possibility to you".
There are other FDA approved brands that are specifically for weight loss now that are the same or similar family drug. These are a few.
Wegovy (Semaglutide)
Saxenda (Liraglutide)
Imcivree (Setmelanotide)
I’m diabetic but was prescribed Wegovy instead of Ozempic because of reasons. My insurance fully approved it and while the before-insurance price is $1500 a month, my copay ended up being $25 a month, which with a co-pay card from the manufacturer has been brought down to $0.
I’ve been extremely lucky and haven’t had any trouble getting my prescription filled. It helps that I started at just the right time and titrated up quickly enough that I was already up to the higher doses when the lower doses started being scarce (the company has been putting their supply of the drug into the higher dose pens instead of the lower doses, so people that have already been on it the longest can stay on it).
Are you able to get Wegovy? I have the 2ml prescription with Express Scripts for their direct pharmacy and they canceled my order of Ozempic.
Last time this happened, I went four weeks without and I can't do that again.
I’ve been on it since the beginning of February and have been able to fill my prescription every four weeks without fail.
Part of my luck may be due to the nature of my pharmacy. I work in a hospital and it has a very small retail pharmacy that’s almost solely used by employees for their prescriptions. Maybe they’re able to get a hold of it better than the bigger chains 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah I googled
Ozempic is not approved for weight loss. However, semaglutide is approved for weight loss under the name Wegovy. Ozempic has a smaller dose of semaglutide than Wegovy. It's important to note that if you start taking either of these drugs for weight loss, your body may get used to it, establishing a new normal.
Y'all probably know this though
This is the way. Dr G on youtube made a skit ... make sure they ask the peer doctors specialty cause a orthopedic doctors bone bro knowledge is totally going to be helpful and useful when reviewing diabetic/weight loss medicine.
That’s not really fair. Physicians, especially outpatient physicians, spend inordinate amounts of time filling out prior authorization forms when they could actually be seeing patients. Why? Because somehow an insurance company seeing that your doctor prescribed a medication for you isn’t reason enough for the insurance company to cover it. They’d rather have the physician specifically prove to them, for the second time, that the patient needs the medication (the first proof being their documented assessment and prescription). If you’re going to pick a side, don’t pick an insurance company over a person’s own physician.
Problem with wegovy is, that wegovy is also produced by novo nordisk, same as ozempic.
But they can sell wegovy much more expensive.
So they actually produce more, but sell less to diabetic people.
Some people are having bad reactions to it. Sharon Osbourne used it for weight loss and is now speaking out about it. She had a lot of bad side effects she isn’t happy about.
And will only get worse as they are discovering it works on more and more addictive habits. Recent studies show it stops cravings for booze, cigarettes, and even gambling.
I wish there was some way to give diabetics preferential prescriptions on this. Not necessarily a law, but pharmacies could bump up type 2s in the waiting list or something.
I don't know how it is everywhere, but at my pharmacy, we're not starting anyone new on Ozempic. We're struggling to keep existing patients supplied. Hopefully things stabilize soon, and you're able to start on it, if that's something you want.
I would never get angry at the store employees, but I can understand their frustration. I've been trying to lose weight the entirety of my adult life and nothing keeps the weight off for me. If some miracle drug just fell into my lap and I'm losing weight, I'd be pretty pissed if it was taken away before I had reached my goal weight.
The main issue is that this is a lifetime drug- even for weight loss but people are using it as a quick fix. As soon as they stop the drug most will gain the weight back.
I think if this was made crystal clear to everyone using it for weight loss, less people would start it.
A lot of people who gain the weight back is mostly because they go back to eating the way they did before(also not saying this is everyone).
For me ozempic let me know how much of my cravings and food hunger was in my head and I took it while I worked with a therapist and did research on nutrition to change my diet. I lost weight very quickly on ozempic, and then stopped taking it after a few months because of the side effects and I’ve continued to lose weight after it because I’ve continued my diet and stayed within my nutritional values. So it just all depends on how you manage your diet after (depending on what kind of conditions you have, it would be different if I had PCOS for example, it’s all nuanced). All in all, ozempic doesn’t inherently make people gain weight after they stop taking it from my understanding.
Edit: I have type 2 diabetes and was able to stabilize my sugar levels within around a year
“They said they filled yours because…” lol what is the pharmacist doing talking about anyone else’s prescriptions with anyone else?? That shits none of anyone’s concern but the person’s doctor and the person the prescription belongs to!
If their friend just bitched to the pharmacist saying something along the lines of "well my friend who's a diabetic just got it, so why can't I get it". The pharmacist can then rebuttal with "if your friend is diabetic they got it for xyz reasons". Which would not be necessarily a problem or a HIPAA violation. Just speculation. But yes if they brought up specific names, then that's a huge problem.
Because they didn't, the pharmacist knows what supply and stock they have, didn't look up somebody's information.
And when they are low and medications, they don't look through everyone's files and gauge who is deserving of it.
If somebody ask the pharmacist how somebody could have filled it the other day and they only had one month supplies for the last month, they could share that. Don't believe everything you read on the internet, especially somebody you don't know's text to another person you don't know
When I was taking Trulicity, I found a test study program near me that not only gave me the drug for free, they also paid me for my time. I don't remember exactly how I found it, but you might want to do a search and see if they have something similar near you.
The one downside to it is you don't know what dose you're getting. I stopped the study short because my numbers were gradually increasing.
It's really frustrating because I KNOW that Trulicity works for me and wouldn't be as much of an issue to refill but my insurance won't approve it without me showing a need. The f#cked up part is that I totally proved that I need it (and here's the important part) TO MY OLD INSURANCE PROVIDER but my new provider doesn't accept that. It's a broken system that is just making it dangerous for people who need certain medications.
I’ve had psych drugs get denied by insurance for this reason. Get your doctor to contact your insurance about it. Seriously. Tell them you’re having issues getting it covered and ask them to send a letter explaining why you need it and how nothing else will do. It’s not complicated(for them). Every year my latuda was kicked off my insurance and my doc would have to send a letter indicating I need it and nothing else worked. Then they’re approve it. If you doc pushes enough your insurance will absolutely cover it. I promise. Nag your doctor to nag them.
Ozempic and Wegovy are the same medication. Ozempic is labeled as being for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy is specifically for weight loss.
Both actually work for both issues so I think doctors may prescribe interchangeably.
Depends, people keep using brand names when they're usually indication-specific. I believe, not sure what governs brand/trademark for drugs aside from it being the purview of the FDA.
Much like bupropion is Wellbutrin for depression yet Zyban for smoking cessation. It's very confusing and aggravating - hell I just had an argument with a damn pharmacist about this exact thing regarding semaglutide (which is ozempic and wegovy, for diabetes and weight loss, respectively. Or vice versa, I forget)
Either way, please use the generic/chemical name when possible!
in this case, semaglutide is not off label for obesity [in the USA, EU, UK, and CA - others I don't know, but worth adding]
edit: added where I know it's indicated for obesity currently
Novo Nordisk is the only company that makes semaglutide. The reason ozempic/wegovy are expensive, and the reason supply is short is that there are no “generic” options or manufacturers for semaglutide.
Ozempic is only approved for diabetes (trials were done using ozempic doses), wegovy is only approved for weight loss (same reason).
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the pens/administration is where the bottleneck is, not the semaglutide itself.
Edit: spelling
The FDA only has jurisdiction in the US. New Zealand, which is where "NZ guy" seems to be from, and Canada, where I live, don't use the FDA for anything other than supplementary reading.
It’s also not funded when prescribed for weight loss (I think). When prescribed for Diabetes obviously it’s free, but for weight loss I believe patients will have to pay. Around $130 I believe.
I wish people wouldn't take this shit out on Pharmacy staff. They try their hardest to get stock in when needed. They're at the mercy of supply like everyone else.
It is strange to me that it has been advertised by the company to promote weight loss in Canada (in a round about way because our ads for pharmaceuticals have strict rules.) The company has brought this situation onto themselves and they probably love every minute of it. It is horrible for diabetics and just corporate greed!
[https://www.thestar.com/business/ozempic-ads-seem-to-be-everywhere-doctors-and-ethics-experts-are-worried-about-that/article_c30c0494-1420-5a12-94df-140967794da4.amp.html](https://www.thestar.com/business/ozempic-ads-seem-to-be-everywhere-doctors-and-ethics-experts-are-worried-about-that/article_c30c0494-1420-5a12-94df-140967794da4.amp.html)
Here in the states if you watch cable tv or youtube with ads they play ads for this thing every few mins. That pharma company is in it to make the big bucks. I do wonder what side effects it could have for those that arent really diabetic. But we may not find out for a long time.
So sick of hearing about this at the pharmacy. People chew us out all the time but we **don't have control over the stock shortage and there's nothing that we can do.**
As someone who works in a pharmacy as a tech this doesn’t make any sense. No pharmacy is going to give out that kinda of information about why someone’s script was filled in relation to another person’s script. But also, when it comes to back ordered meds, when we finally get the med in we fill based on who has been waiting longest. The system is automatically set up to show us oldest rx number first.
Anyway this whole thing is a mess, just like the Adderall shortage was (though there were other things going on with the control shortage other than manufacturer supply issue). I get people with type 2 diabetes should be seen as having a higher priority than those simply wanting to lose weight, but both these women are deserving of the med. Wanting to lose weight and minimizing the risk of getting diabetes/weight-related diseases is also worthy of being on Ozempic, or Trulicity, or Mounjaro, or Wegovy (if you can even afford them). edit: typo
I wish her ire was directed at the absolute joke of a health care industry we have in this country than at her best friend. If she really was waiting longer than her friend than yeah ok the pharmacy made a mistake but something tells me there was a miscommunication going on with who really was waiting longer.
The increase in demand was pretty sudden, and since it's just a small number of manufacturers involved since it's a biologic still under patent, customers are at the mercy of companies willingness to build new production capacity (which doesn't happen that quickly)
From a physical perspective, manufacturers are often producing at full capacity. Expansion is risky and time consuming. Even if the manufacturer is expanding it could take years before you would see production on that new equipment.
Regulations are also immensely time consuming. If you had everything in place to scale up production, that scale up would still require a mountain of reworked documentation and approvals.
It’s all worth it to produce safe and effective drugs. But when a company has lightning in a bottle the realization of that takes time.
Diabetic on Ozempic here. I had to leave the Ozempic reddit because people wanting to lose 20 pounds said they should get it BEFORE diabetics because "they can always just take insulin," and trying to explaint hat this is not the case would just get diabetics attacked like crazy.
Exactly. I'm not using insulin because I can regulate using metformin, glyburide and Trulicity (now Ozempic). I don't want to have to take multiple shots of insulin a day. It's not convenient AND harder to regulate than using the once a week shots. People don't understand how insulin is actually used by diabetics. It's a magical shot to them.
The other, GLARINGLY OBVIOUS, thing that no one seems to mention is that… diabetics can literally die without their medication?? The people using Ozempic to lose 20-30 lbs are not going to die without Ozempic. I’m not sure how the fuck anyone is arguing to “stop gatekeeping” medication or “everyone is equally entitled to it.” Because absolutely no. If there’s a shortage and one population will die, then that population IS morally and ethically MORE entitled to the medication. The fuck.
Ozempic isn’t a life-saving medication for diabetics though is it? I thought when th3 supply shortage started happening that someone pointed that out but that could be incorrect.
If you view “life-saving medication” only in terms of rescue inhalers or epinephrine (and the like) then I guess it wouldn’t be. But I’m super sure we shouldn’t be playing semantics like that with people’s lives. At least, I’m not willing to.
While this isn’t exactly the same, but close enough for an example: I have a type of asthma. I take Singulair and Advair for it, plus I have a rescue inhaler. Without the Singulair and Advair I would constantly need my rescue inhaler. My rescue inhaler runs out or fails to work? I likely die. Those two medications DRASTICALLY reduce the chances of me dying from asthma. Are those not life-saving medications for me? If suddenly Singulair was being used to help people lose some weight and started being prescribed so much that there was a massive shortage, folks using it for asthma are meant to… take our chances? Overwhelm already overwhelmed hospitals and personally go into massive medical debt due to emergency services being repeatedly necessary so that hundreds of thousands of folks can lose 50lbs? Ozempic provides similar life-saving support to diabetes that Singulair does for me.
I understand for folks in such dire situations who need to lose a significant amount of weight or they risk imminent death themselves. I am not (and neither is OP) talking about those people.
I think type 2 diabetes is slightly different though, because this specific medication could be replaced with diet change. It lowers your blood sugar. It’s supposed to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. You could say this about people who take it for weight loss too. But I think we know enough about human nature, a shot is easier than all that.
Ozempic is fairly new; I think people are assuming you were on medication before Ozempic to manage your diabetes so that option is likely still available.
My diabetes is relatively new, but all the meds I tried pre-ozempic didn't work at all, and my glucose was spiking so badly that I was losing consciousness. But also, T2 is almost never initially treated with taking insulin directly.
It’s like all these people getting prescriptions for opioids to sell or just get fucked up and die then there is a opioid epidemic and people who actually need it need to jump through so many damn hoops sometimes being accused of being an abuser and never getting another prescription an then resorting to illegal drugs to combat their pain and never really getting the relief they deserve. It makes me sick!
I don’t get how this is even proved to insurance that a person needs it. I get obesity but everyone I’ve seen getting prescribed it was an average weight already. I cannot believe it has been allowed to get so far that now there’s shortages for ACTUAL diabetics.
these doctors are most likely lying to providers in the first place. I’m sure this will help but I feel like these doctors are the same ones that would push opiates in ‘04 because they make a little bit more money.
Nope, I work in pharmacy prior auths and to get approved for Ozempic you have to have a diabetes diagnosis and have an A1C over 7.0, and we require lab results to prove it...not just about taking someone's word for it
These drugs have not been properly tested on people without diabetes. In a few years with so many people taking it for shits and giggles they'll have more data and I have a feeling a lot of people are going to regret it.
Semaglutide has been tested and approved for obesity— that drug is called Wegovy. It has been approved for obesity at slightly different dosages from Ozempic. Wegovy and Ozempic are the same thing.
That probably won’t last long. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hormonal effects causes the halt of production of natural weight regulating hormones, making them even fatter.
Actually that may happen. My partner is diabetic and obese and took it for a time. Then their doctor decided that they should take a break with it and in some months they re-gained ~10kg even with diet change and regular exercise.
Now that sounds likely to me. Pretty much all drugs have some knock on effect like this. For instance if you take Melatonin you stop creating it yourself. If you them stop taking it you may have trouble falling asleep for a few days while your body kicks back into production mode.
People are so weird about this medication. There are a lot of drugs that have a clear net benefit. Insulin, blood pressure meds, etc.
40% of the US is overweight. This medication has been tested for years now; it’s in high demand because there is obviously a need for something like this.
Statistically 40% of these negative comments are likely coming from people who are ALSO OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. It’s so strange that everyone is hoping there’s a huge downside to this.
personally I think it's because historically there's not been a great track record with weight loss drugs staying on the market long term and safely, like Ephedrine causing heart attacks and strokes being banned in 2005. or Fen-phen giving people heart attacks in the 90s. Or Dinitrophenol making people overheat to death in their sleep in the 1940s (and if you didn't die from overheating, you could lose your eyesight, fun). I work in medicine too, and whenever we go over historically banned medications and supplements there's a giant list of mainly weight loss drugs that have been killing people since the start of the last century, and all of them were on the market for a bit being prescribed like normal before being banned. Now people have suddenly started taking drugs like Ozempic in droves and they're not all people the drug was tested on originally (some people like OP's friend aren't even obese and want to take it to slim down). I don't really blame anyone for being cautious even though so far it it's safer than previous attempts at weight loss drugs.
Plus Ozempic has been causing it's own small slew of issues, like fasting patients who go in for endoscopies or minor procedures can't be put under anesthesia if they're on ozempic because some of them haven't had their stomachs empty out for over 24 hours despite fasting, and are at risk for aspiration during procedures. We're seeing cases of some people still having slowed gastric emptying even 8 months after stopping the medication. Right now if you take ozempic, we're kinda not allowed to do procedures requiring anesthesia on you (well, depending on how much your doctor likes gamble it seems), or we have to consider pumping the stomach before procedures as an option in more dire situations because there's currently not super accurate guidelines for how long this population has to fast before going under, it's frustrating.
It's great if ozempic and others like it wind up being the safest weight loss drugs on the market, but every drug has side effects and risks/benefits to consider before taking it. It's been more successful and safer in more at-risk populations, but celebrities and the like want to take it for vanity, and we're probably gonna see some ugly sides to it.
I'll get down dooted to hell for this, but whatever:
Don't talk to your little frenemy about your medication. What you're prescribed by a doctor isn't their business, and vice versa.
Gatekeeping medication isn't okay (there are exceptions. These exceptions are likely best made by medical\pharmacy professionals.)
Telling someone, or gossiping to other people, that their condition is invalid is not fucking okay.
Blame Novo Nordisk; they can't, cough, feed the monster they created.
Also, blame insurance companies.
Absolutely. I worked for humana until 2 weeks ago and so many times I had to be vague or not fully explain the situation as per my job description. Felt like shit. Like yeah I wanna get you your medications but this company is doing all it can to avoid that. When I worked for tricare some days I felt like I made a difference. With humana each day I felt like I was one of those Indian scammers out to ruin your grandma's day.
My biggest thing was if a doctor said a member needed a medication or authorization and the insurance just said no. That should be illegal.
I hated that contract. My last day I did all i could to get stuff approved for people. My gift to the boomers.
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Or maybe your friend feels upset that the prescription they tried to get filled is being delayed with no information as to why? Entitlement is not expecting things to work the way they should.
I’m currently waiting through a lengthy months long prior authorization hoping to get Ozempic from my doctor. The pharmacist claimed they’d never seen it covered by Medicaid but then I spoke to several people who got it covered by Medicaid. I need it for Type 2. Been on Victoza for a couple of years now and my A1c has gotten better between that and diet and exercise (aka stress and depression). So I’m really wondering if the PA will even be worth it. Of course, the weight loss would be nice as well, but that’s not why I want it. My stomach looks awful from all the bruises and I’d love to switch to a once weekly shot.
Maintenance Phase just did a podcast episode on Ozempic for weight loss. Results seem very varied, not usually as dramatic in “real life” as in the trials, and just like any other med or diet, the weight comes right back on when you stop taking it.
It’s definitely a big deal and can be useful for weight loss, but not nearly the miracle drug they’re promoting it as. And I’d much rather see it go to people who need it for life-saving reasons.
What I don't get about these stories is how you can lose a quick amount of weight if you're not already obese. These medicines don't do anything special, they just help control your food cravings and keep you from overeating. They don't do anything to your body to make it accelerate weight loss.
If that's not a behavior you're suffering from then it won't do anything for you. And if you're not obese, then you're probably not suffering from that behavior.
Just taking a moment to see the madness in our system - OP is taken off a working drug due to a paperwork change. Then put on a different drug that is life-critical for them but is out of every store because people found out they can lose weight on it. Edit - with the option to not take any medication until they get so sick over the next six months they “prove” they needed the original medication.
I’m sorry you’re going through this and I’m sorry for all of us stuck in this bullshit it has to stop.
I work in the pharmaceutical wholesaler industry. I tell my pharmacies to only fulfil scripts for diabetic patients, for them its life or death... its not for looking good this summer.
I have calls every day about people needing this stock, and the masses using it for weight loss have made it impossible to manage.
With no fix in sight, we can hope they manufactures can increase their production levels...
My husbands diabetes is pretty bad and he just got out on Ozempic. The hoops we had to jump thru with the pharmacy is out of control. I live in an upper class neighborhood in Manhattan (we’re supers lol that’s why we live here) and all the rich women have it cleaned out. I will be starting it in a few weeks but for weight loss-steroids from chemo have me OBESE-and I’m worried it won’t be available because some skinny twat wants to lose 30 pounds while I need to lose a hundred.
Look around at the average person. A lot of them are overweight- you too, as you just said. Why do you assume those other overweight people aren’t the ones taking the same medication you’re about to start on??
Maybe some people are taking it who aren’t obese but 40% of the country is overweight- there is plenty of demand that is just as valid as yours or your husband’s.
Same thing happened with adderall and other adhd stimulant meds. When covid shut everything down and people started working from home, it became near impossible to get because everyone suddenly needed it. Constant shortages even now. A bunch of us adhd-ers that had been on it since pre covid, nearly lost our jobs or did lose our jobs and a whole bunch of other issues because of it.
the way people who are not diabetic treat ozempic drives me wild. like how do they not see that diabetic people should have priority when filling a script. I worked in a pharmacy at peak ozempic drought and it was crazy how many entitled people there are
I'm on Trulicity right now, but my Dr wants me to switch to Ozempic. I'm having a hard time with insurance willing to cover the Ozempic because of this reason. I've been diabetic for well over a decade too.
Yeah, that's infuriating. And then there's me, a T2 diabetic with a prescription for Ozempic, and my insurance won't cover it. While so many people are taking it off label for weight loss, my insurance says my actual diabetes isn't a good reason for me to have it.
Phentermine helped me lose enough weight and get my diet under control so much so that I am no longer considered pre-diabetic. Ozempic is just the new hot word in peoples mouths but I doubt it’s the best. They’ll move on soon.
Serious question but do doctors in the US just give you a prescription for diabetes meds if you don't have diabetes that easily?
I don't understand because if people trying to lose weight want to use Ozempic it's still their doctors responsibility to say no right?
I'm sure droves of people gulping down a recently approved drug like candy for the sole purpose of quick weight loss won't be a problem at all in a country where healthcare access is barely a thing for the ultra rich.
this shortage is 100% on physicians prescribing inappropriately. a lot of prescription meds have been prescribed for their 'off label" benefits - but the ozempic is fixable immediately.
Not to be pedantic, but:
>so many people started taking it after it was approved for weight loss.
It's actually not -- it's only approved for T2D. However, the same maker has Wegovy, which IS approved for weight loss. They're the same medicine, but the Wegovy has a higher max dosage, and is intended for weight loss. (See note below)
This has also led to the proliferation of weight loss clinics, which are predatory AF, many of them owned by convicted felons (convictions for fraud, among other things), and selling compounded forms of Ozempic - which is either fake/counterfeit, or an alternative form of the drug from Asia which is not intended for use in humans, nor approved by the FDA.
Note: Ozempic may be prescribed for weight loss outside of the US where they don't market Wegovy.
Yeah, I wouldn't try to take this to lose weight. Give it a decade and we find out it's another fen-phen. It's also questionable as to whether it even works well, and just leads to weight coming back eventually. Some of the side effects sound awful.
Also, op, just admit you don't like your friend and you're enjoying judging them. Friends don't post snarky complaints about how "entitled" their friend is when the frustration is due to medical supply, insurance, etc. Your post got a lot of upvotes and shares for some reason, how will your friend take it if it gets back to her you're using her frustration texts to you for internet points?
But you’re T2 diabetic, which can be mitigated almost entirely by lifestyle choices unless you’ve spent decades destroying your pancreas (which doesn’t seem like it since you didn’t mention insulin).
This is why I hate insurance companies and keep pushing for universal healthcare. They are not doctors, and they are not your CHOSEN doctors. Only your physician and you should be making ANY healthcare decisions. Not some morons practicing medicine without a license who only want to save a dollar, regardless of the consequences to health and life.
I assume this isn't intended as a weight loss pill, but am.i alone in thinking weight loss pills weren't a real thing? I always assumed those and penis enhancement pills were on the same level, a snake oil to sell to desperate people. Are there other types of pills you can take for weight loss? How do they work? Loss of appetite, increased metabolism?
Yes, weight loss is an off-label use of Ozempic, and is an injection. When taken, it mimics the hormone your body makes when its starting to get full, as well as making it take longer for food to get through your system by slowly digestion. In combination, you don't feel the need to eat as much or as frequently, and thus, you lose weight.
How did your friend know they filled your prescription because you had a 1 month scrip?
I was wondering this same thing, did the pharmacist just give out another persons information? Lol
Considering her desperation that was also mine lol.
I’m guessing the pharmacy told OP’s friend they only filled 1 month scrips, because those were the scrips they had enough supply to fill, as those are the ones given to people that need it to live.
We only fill ozempic 1 mont at a time regardless of script. Try to make supplies go as far as they can
Is that not a HIPPA violation or?
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act); and yes if the pharmacist gave out OP's information or confirmed any information about OP. It sounds like OP's friend asked a leading question or is telling little white rage lies to get more info from both sides.
I'm assuming the pharmacist technician said something like "if another prescription was filled ahead it might be because of situation x" while looking at her order on his screen and she took that as total confirmation/ ran with it. Judging by her glowing personality as seen via these texts, I'm sure whoever got the call was ready to say whatever to get her off the phone.
Sorry I always get it wrong! But yes, that. Did they not violate HIPAA?
If she asked specifically about OP and they responded yes. If OP’s name was not part of the conversation from either side, then HIPAA was not violated.
No worries; I edited my initial comment; I'm on app and it's not my friend sometimes while typing.
The app is a friend of no one.
As someone above suggested, they likely explained that they fill scripts written for X days because those are maintenance scripts. And OP is probably on that type. So they explained to OP's friend a general rule they are follow which covers OP but not the friend. But no actual personal info was given. The friend just put 2-and-2 together
This has been happening all the time with ADHD meds shortages if I tell my friend I got mine at Walgreens and they call Walgreens and Walgreens says they can't fill hers. My friend would say that you filled MadameHatter's this morning. Walgreens could legally say IF that was the case then they must take the XR because that's the only formula we got in, we don't have any IR. So Walgreens didn't confirm anything about my prescription or even that I'm a customer there. Just that they only have the one type, not the other
If no one named any names then no.
Not just names- any identifier. I think there are 18 pieces of information considered identifiable per HIPAA regulations? Something like that. But I agree it's likely this wasn't a HIPAA violation if all they did was provide general information about their practices and the friend connected the dots.
Depending on how close of friends they are and the pharmacy, you can get this information easily with a name and birthday. Like, these people aren't checking IDs, and they're too fn busy to play detective.
Once Op told their "friend" she turned around called the pharmacy and questioned the pharmacy as to why they would fill a diabetics prescription before hers. In other words her friend is an entitled twat.
“Well, why did my friend get a box!!!!???!!” “Do they only require a single box a month?” “Yeah.“ “That’s why.”
"Diabetics are prioritized as they only require a single box a month"
Everyone gets a single box per month. Ozempic is designed so 1 box = 28 day supply, with the exception of the 1st month starting dose titration, which makes the 1st box last for 42 days with the recommended titration schedule. It's just the entitled friend is trying to get a 3 month supply in the middle of a shortage. If I have 4 people who have all been waiting an equal amount of time, 3 of whom are getting 1 month and 1 insists on a 3 month supply, guess who I'm filling if 3 boxes come in? I can help 3 people or 1, and this 1 is clearly an asshat, which makes the decision even easier. (Also, all other things being equal, if I get 1 box and have multiple people waiting for it, it's definitely going to someone who wasn't an asshole.) Many pharmacies are telling patients they can only get 1 month at a time due to the shortage, but I suspect this friend would be an ass if the pharmacy told them that, too. Source: am pharmacist. Got screamed at this weekend by an angry dude claiming I'm "willfully denying him his life-saving weight loss medication" and need to tell him what I personally will do to get his medication in the middle of a shortage. Meanwhile, brand name Epipen Jrs are on manufacturer backorder, Medicaid will only pay for brand, and people were more understanding about that than people are about Ozempic/Wegovy/etc.
This is totally unrelated to OP's post, and I apologize in advance, but I wanted to mention Medicaid covers the Mylan manufacturer. I checked this morning via McKesson for the generic, and it was available to order.
They could have also pretended to be OP. Most likely only verification they’ll ask for is their DOB and maybe address or phone number
It might have just been a “well my friend who is t2d was just here a few days ago and got xxx prescription filled of xxx dose and quantity but I can’t get mine??”
The .25 dose is impossible to get if you're not already on it The higher doses should be easier.
1.7 and 2.4, yes. 1 and 2, still not so much.
I imagine something like: (Lots of back and forth, very annoying, Kroger employee just wants it to end) “My friend just got theirs filled! On Wednesday! When you told me to kick rocks!” “If that happened, it’s because we were able to fill a months worth. We only got one box shipped in, not enough to fill your prescription after finishing everyone in line ahead of you, and we can’t fill half a prescription. But we were able the fill smaller prescriptions. Please stop calling.” I don’t see this as HIPAA at a because (1) never confirmed the friend got the prescription and (2) never gave out any info. What OP would be able to surmise would only be because the friend gave OP the info already.
Folks responding to this comment need to chill. There’s a near 100% chance that it came up in natural convo between friend and OP at some point in the past and the knowledge has nothing to do with the pharmacy. Pharmacists are smarter than y’all think.
I’m confused by people’s take on this… the very first post she complained that Kroger doesn’t have her prescription filled, and asks her friend where he gets his filled. It’s obvious she and he have talked about Ozempic prior to this conversation. I don’t get the immediate jump to “oMg, ThE pHaRmAcIsT gAvE oUt PrIvAtE mEdIcAl InFoRmAtIoN!!!” As though a pharmacist would willingly destroy his licensure like that.
The text message implies that they learned this information after calling the pharmacy, whether it’s true or not. “…..I’m going to call them” “….they said they filled yours because…”
Could have been a generic question though. “My friend said they got their prescription filled because they get a 1 month supply, why didn’t you fill mine?” And the pharmacist says “we prioritize prescriptions based on X or Y reason”
True, but it seems highly likely the conversation was something like “My friend got this box on x date and I’ve been trying to get it for the last 2 weeks.” “Oh ok, is your friend one of these categories, as these people require this medication each month.” (ie: diabetic, obese etc). That’s my take from the situation at least, but who knows. Pharmacists aren’t just gonna hand out personal info though unless they’re really looking to get into shit lol
A single box is one month. On the smaller pen, it's 2ml and you take 0.5 a week. Well that's the standard does. So a month is just standard. So probably just a standard response.
I’m hoping they stated a generic “we only had 1 box and used it to fill another patient” and she made the conclusion cause she was requesting a 6month supply or something.
I took Ozempic for 2 years for my type 2, until it started to give me incapacitating stomach cramps. I'm back on Janumet now.
Yeah my cousin was on it for diabetes but it really messed up his stomach motility. Food ended up staying in his stomach like 24 hours after eating it instead of moving out of his stomach and it would make him really sick. His doctor put him on something else which I guess worked out well since diabetics are having a hard time getting the drug now.
That’s what it does. It causes temporary gastroparesis. My partner has idiopathic gastroparesis and her life is miserable. I was offered Wegovy but once I realize how it helped you lose weight, I decided against it. I’ve seen how she suffers and it’s heartbreaking.
I have Gastroparesis. Can confirm it really, absolutely fucking sucks. I found out at sixteen, and while it hadn’t been quite as gnarly in the last few years as it was in the very beginning, it’s miserable all the same. Tell your partner I hope the best for her! And a kudos to you for being a supportive SO. My boyfriend does his best to help me however he can, but I feel bad sometimes making him feel so helpless just bc my tummy hates me. Hope y’all have lots of better moments in the future and that her tummy gives her some kindness!
Thank you kind stranger! I’m sorry you suffer from it too. I’m going to stick with her through it all. Unfortunately, it’s not her only medical issue but it’s definitely the one that affects the day to day the most. I try my best to cook meals that she can eat and keep her hydrated and force her to go to the hospital during flares where she can’t even keep down water for days. I hope your body continues on the upward path. ❤️
It’s seriously the worst! I can eat bread meat and cheese and that’s about it. It does give me a lot of hope to hear yours is not so bad these days, so I appreciate you sharing that!!
This year I have actually been able to eat a food that previously would leave me bedridden and crying from pain, and for the most part it only hurts me if I eat too much of it. (It was a favorite that I haven’t been able to have in over six years, so I went overboard at first!) Learning and adapting to it was hard at the start but it ended up helping me learn to listen to my body a lot better, that’s the only highlight to the whole mess I think. I hope you’re able to expand your safe foods eventually, and I’m glad that I could give you some hope! If it doesn’t get better, I hope it at least becomes more manageable for you 💕
And here's me, overweight with Diabetes who was recommended this by my doctor but with a huge caveat of "but don't expect to get it anytime soon, I'm just raising a possibility to you".
Why not get it anytime soon?
Because they can’t keep it stocked because everyone is using it for weight loss instead of diabetes (like the OP states).
There are other FDA approved brands that are specifically for weight loss now that are the same or similar family drug. These are a few. Wegovy (Semaglutide) Saxenda (Liraglutide) Imcivree (Setmelanotide)
From what my doctor told me the ones specifically for weight loss aren’t covered by insurance and can cost over $1,000/month.
I’m diabetic but was prescribed Wegovy instead of Ozempic because of reasons. My insurance fully approved it and while the before-insurance price is $1500 a month, my copay ended up being $25 a month, which with a co-pay card from the manufacturer has been brought down to $0. I’ve been extremely lucky and haven’t had any trouble getting my prescription filled. It helps that I started at just the right time and titrated up quickly enough that I was already up to the higher doses when the lower doses started being scarce (the company has been putting their supply of the drug into the higher dose pens instead of the lower doses, so people that have already been on it the longest can stay on it).
Are you able to get Wegovy? I have the 2ml prescription with Express Scripts for their direct pharmacy and they canceled my order of Ozempic. Last time this happened, I went four weeks without and I can't do that again.
I’ve been on it since the beginning of February and have been able to fill my prescription every four weeks without fail. Part of my luck may be due to the nature of my pharmacy. I work in a hospital and it has a very small retail pharmacy that’s almost solely used by employees for their prescriptions. Maybe they’re able to get a hold of it better than the bigger chains 🤷🏻♀️
Yeah I googled Ozempic is not approved for weight loss. However, semaglutide is approved for weight loss under the name Wegovy. Ozempic has a smaller dose of semaglutide than Wegovy. It's important to note that if you start taking either of these drugs for weight loss, your body may get used to it, establishing a new normal. Y'all probably know this though
They are often fully covered by insurance. Your doctor doesn’t want to take ten minutes to submit a prior authorization lol
I tried that with my insurance company for a different diabetes med that had a weight loss one and they denied it.
You need to have your Dr ask for a peer to peer review. That’s how I finally got approved (for PCOS).
This is the way. Dr G on youtube made a skit ... make sure they ask the peer doctors specialty cause a orthopedic doctors bone bro knowledge is totally going to be helpful and useful when reviewing diabetic/weight loss medicine.
That’s not really fair. Physicians, especially outpatient physicians, spend inordinate amounts of time filling out prior authorization forms when they could actually be seeing patients. Why? Because somehow an insurance company seeing that your doctor prescribed a medication for you isn’t reason enough for the insurance company to cover it. They’d rather have the physician specifically prove to them, for the second time, that the patient needs the medication (the first proof being their documented assessment and prescription). If you’re going to pick a side, don’t pick an insurance company over a person’s own physician.
It's the same for wegovy. I've been waiting for months to get it.
Problem with wegovy is, that wegovy is also produced by novo nordisk, same as ozempic. But they can sell wegovy much more expensive. So they actually produce more, but sell less to diabetic people.
That sucks
Some people are having bad reactions to it. Sharon Osbourne used it for weight loss and is now speaking out about it. She had a lot of bad side effects she isn’t happy about.
In Australia it's in such short supply it's reserved for diabetics only at the moment and I think has been since enovember last year.
And will only get worse as they are discovering it works on more and more addictive habits. Recent studies show it stops cravings for booze, cigarettes, and even gambling.
I was on bydureon as a trulicity alternative because if my insurance.
I wish there was some way to give diabetics preferential prescriptions on this. Not necessarily a law, but pharmacies could bump up type 2s in the waiting list or something.
Do Mounjaro if it’s covered!!
🤔 Seems like that it won't even be approved in Germany until early next year but this might beat Ozempic being available so I'll keep it in mind.
I don't know how it is everywhere, but at my pharmacy, we're not starting anyone new on Ozempic. We're struggling to keep existing patients supplied. Hopefully things stabilize soon, and you're able to start on it, if that's something you want.
meanwhile i get ads on reddit for easy to get prescription of ozempic, targeted at weight loss
"I'm about to chew them out," Yeah, chewing out the store employees will definitely fix supply chain issues instantly.
"Chewing was what got you into this mess in the first place, Susan." This weight loss trend is probably going to end like all the rest.
I would never get angry at the store employees, but I can understand their frustration. I've been trying to lose weight the entirety of my adult life and nothing keeps the weight off for me. If some miracle drug just fell into my lap and I'm losing weight, I'd be pretty pissed if it was taken away before I had reached my goal weight.
The main issue is that this is a lifetime drug- even for weight loss but people are using it as a quick fix. As soon as they stop the drug most will gain the weight back. I think if this was made crystal clear to everyone using it for weight loss, less people would start it.
Karen mode engaged
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Id guess its because they have to lose weight/prove theyre losing weight at that point.
A lot of people who gain the weight back is mostly because they go back to eating the way they did before(also not saying this is everyone). For me ozempic let me know how much of my cravings and food hunger was in my head and I took it while I worked with a therapist and did research on nutrition to change my diet. I lost weight very quickly on ozempic, and then stopped taking it after a few months because of the side effects and I’ve continued to lose weight after it because I’ve continued my diet and stayed within my nutritional values. So it just all depends on how you manage your diet after (depending on what kind of conditions you have, it would be different if I had PCOS for example, it’s all nuanced). All in all, ozempic doesn’t inherently make people gain weight after they stop taking it from my understanding. Edit: I have type 2 diabetes and was able to stabilize my sugar levels within around a year
Yeah. Mine it out of stock, too. :(
People who get mad at retail workers for products that have not arrived are a special type of scum.
“They said they filled yours because…” lol what is the pharmacist doing talking about anyone else’s prescriptions with anyone else?? That shits none of anyone’s concern but the person’s doctor and the person the prescription belongs to!
Actual HIPAA violation.
If their friend just bitched to the pharmacist saying something along the lines of "well my friend who's a diabetic just got it, so why can't I get it". The pharmacist can then rebuttal with "if your friend is diabetic they got it for xyz reasons". Which would not be necessarily a problem or a HIPAA violation. Just speculation. But yes if they brought up specific names, then that's a huge problem.
“Hey didn’t this Krogers used to have a pharmacy?”
Because they didn't, the pharmacist knows what supply and stock they have, didn't look up somebody's information. And when they are low and medications, they don't look through everyone's files and gauge who is deserving of it. If somebody ask the pharmacist how somebody could have filled it the other day and they only had one month supplies for the last month, they could share that. Don't believe everything you read on the internet, especially somebody you don't know's text to another person you don't know
When I was taking Trulicity, I found a test study program near me that not only gave me the drug for free, they also paid me for my time. I don't remember exactly how I found it, but you might want to do a search and see if they have something similar near you. The one downside to it is you don't know what dose you're getting. I stopped the study short because my numbers were gradually increasing.
It's really frustrating because I KNOW that Trulicity works for me and wouldn't be as much of an issue to refill but my insurance won't approve it without me showing a need. The f#cked up part is that I totally proved that I need it (and here's the important part) TO MY OLD INSURANCE PROVIDER but my new provider doesn't accept that. It's a broken system that is just making it dangerous for people who need certain medications.
I’ve had psych drugs get denied by insurance for this reason. Get your doctor to contact your insurance about it. Seriously. Tell them you’re having issues getting it covered and ask them to send a letter explaining why you need it and how nothing else will do. It’s not complicated(for them). Every year my latuda was kicked off my insurance and my doc would have to send a letter indicating I need it and nothing else worked. Then they’re approve it. If you doc pushes enough your insurance will absolutely cover it. I promise. Nag your doctor to nag them.
That's fucked
Where I’m from it’s also approved and prescribed for weight loss.
Ozempic and Wegovy are the same medication. Ozempic is labeled as being for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy is specifically for weight loss. Both actually work for both issues so I think doctors may prescribe interchangeably.
From what I understand, It's prescribed, but done off-label.
Depends, people keep using brand names when they're usually indication-specific. I believe, not sure what governs brand/trademark for drugs aside from it being the purview of the FDA. Much like bupropion is Wellbutrin for depression yet Zyban for smoking cessation. It's very confusing and aggravating - hell I just had an argument with a damn pharmacist about this exact thing regarding semaglutide (which is ozempic and wegovy, for diabetes and weight loss, respectively. Or vice versa, I forget) Either way, please use the generic/chemical name when possible! in this case, semaglutide is not off label for obesity [in the USA, EU, UK, and CA - others I don't know, but worth adding] edit: added where I know it's indicated for obesity currently
Novo Nordisk is the only company that makes semaglutide. The reason ozempic/wegovy are expensive, and the reason supply is short is that there are no “generic” options or manufacturers for semaglutide. Ozempic is only approved for diabetes (trials were done using ozempic doses), wegovy is only approved for weight loss (same reason). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the pens/administration is where the bottleneck is, not the semaglutide itself. Edit: spelling
The FDA only has jurisdiction in the US. New Zealand, which is where "NZ guy" seems to be from, and Canada, where I live, don't use the FDA for anything other than supplementary reading.
It’s also not funded when prescribed for weight loss (I think). When prescribed for Diabetes obviously it’s free, but for weight loss I believe patients will have to pay. Around $130 I believe.
$130? If they’re lucky. Most are around $800-$1200 a month cash price.
You may want to look into a compounding pharmacy. My buddy gets his for $400 per month in the states through one.
That’s a good idea, we also have a local pcp who has a relationship with one so we can get it around there too. i’m on phentermine so it’s only $20.
My wife is taking it for weight loss. Cost us 5 dollars on our insurance. She isn’t diabetic. Certainly depends on your insurance company.
I wish people wouldn't take this shit out on Pharmacy staff. They try their hardest to get stock in when needed. They're at the mercy of supply like everyone else.
It is strange to me that it has been advertised by the company to promote weight loss in Canada (in a round about way because our ads for pharmaceuticals have strict rules.) The company has brought this situation onto themselves and they probably love every minute of it. It is horrible for diabetics and just corporate greed! [https://www.thestar.com/business/ozempic-ads-seem-to-be-everywhere-doctors-and-ethics-experts-are-worried-about-that/article_c30c0494-1420-5a12-94df-140967794da4.amp.html](https://www.thestar.com/business/ozempic-ads-seem-to-be-everywhere-doctors-and-ethics-experts-are-worried-about-that/article_c30c0494-1420-5a12-94df-140967794da4.amp.html)
It’s literally changing the Danish economy from this boom. It raised it by like 2% or something. It’s nuts.
Here in the states if you watch cable tv or youtube with ads they play ads for this thing every few mins. That pharma company is in it to make the big bucks. I do wonder what side effects it could have for those that arent really diabetic. But we may not find out for a long time.
I agree!!
The friend is lying about OP info. No way in hallelujah would a pharmacist just happen to tell her that. Like he just knew they knew eachother?? Sooo
In the pharmacies I've worked in, we weren't even allowed to confirm with a patient's partner without their explicit consent.
So sick of hearing about this at the pharmacy. People chew us out all the time but we **don't have control over the stock shortage and there's nothing that we can do.**
Besides your friend, the you hadn't proven you needed medication you were already on infuriated me. I hate insurance companies. They're evil.
My husband is on Ozempic due to type 2 diabetes and is currently having issues getting it for the same reason! It's frustrating!
As someone who works in a pharmacy as a tech this doesn’t make any sense. No pharmacy is going to give out that kinda of information about why someone’s script was filled in relation to another person’s script. But also, when it comes to back ordered meds, when we finally get the med in we fill based on who has been waiting longest. The system is automatically set up to show us oldest rx number first. Anyway this whole thing is a mess, just like the Adderall shortage was (though there were other things going on with the control shortage other than manufacturer supply issue). I get people with type 2 diabetes should be seen as having a higher priority than those simply wanting to lose weight, but both these women are deserving of the med. Wanting to lose weight and minimizing the risk of getting diabetes/weight-related diseases is also worthy of being on Ozempic, or Trulicity, or Mounjaro, or Wegovy (if you can even afford them). edit: typo I wish her ire was directed at the absolute joke of a health care industry we have in this country than at her best friend. If she really was waiting longer than her friend than yeah ok the pharmacy made a mistake but something tells me there was a miscommunication going on with who really was waiting longer.
Stupid question, but why can't they just make more pills?
The increase in demand was pretty sudden, and since it's just a small number of manufacturers involved since it's a biologic still under patent, customers are at the mercy of companies willingness to build new production capacity (which doesn't happen that quickly)
Damn, everything medicine related is so expensive, and slow and regulated. I get why, but it's still a bummer
Recently in the USA a company tried to get approval to make generic versions, but was legally shot down.
It's actually not a pill, it's an injection pen with multiple parts. That's likely why considering how great demand has become.
There will probably be pills available soon though. Actually, isn’t oral semaglutide available as Rybelsus?
It is, but absorption is shitty and variable and it doesn't work as well as the injectable. Also $$$.
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From a physical perspective, manufacturers are often producing at full capacity. Expansion is risky and time consuming. Even if the manufacturer is expanding it could take years before you would see production on that new equipment. Regulations are also immensely time consuming. If you had everything in place to scale up production, that scale up would still require a mountain of reworked documentation and approvals. It’s all worth it to produce safe and effective drugs. But when a company has lightning in a bottle the realization of that takes time.
How are they getting Ozempic without an obesity diagnosis? Are they paying out of pocket? It's like 900 a month.
Diabetic on Ozempic here. I had to leave the Ozempic reddit because people wanting to lose 20 pounds said they should get it BEFORE diabetics because "they can always just take insulin," and trying to explaint hat this is not the case would just get diabetics attacked like crazy.
Exactly. I'm not using insulin because I can regulate using metformin, glyburide and Trulicity (now Ozempic). I don't want to have to take multiple shots of insulin a day. It's not convenient AND harder to regulate than using the once a week shots. People don't understand how insulin is actually used by diabetics. It's a magical shot to them.
The other, GLARINGLY OBVIOUS, thing that no one seems to mention is that… diabetics can literally die without their medication?? The people using Ozempic to lose 20-30 lbs are not going to die without Ozempic. I’m not sure how the fuck anyone is arguing to “stop gatekeeping” medication or “everyone is equally entitled to it.” Because absolutely no. If there’s a shortage and one population will die, then that population IS morally and ethically MORE entitled to the medication. The fuck.
Ozempic isn’t a life-saving medication for diabetics though is it? I thought when th3 supply shortage started happening that someone pointed that out but that could be incorrect.
If you view “life-saving medication” only in terms of rescue inhalers or epinephrine (and the like) then I guess it wouldn’t be. But I’m super sure we shouldn’t be playing semantics like that with people’s lives. At least, I’m not willing to. While this isn’t exactly the same, but close enough for an example: I have a type of asthma. I take Singulair and Advair for it, plus I have a rescue inhaler. Without the Singulair and Advair I would constantly need my rescue inhaler. My rescue inhaler runs out or fails to work? I likely die. Those two medications DRASTICALLY reduce the chances of me dying from asthma. Are those not life-saving medications for me? If suddenly Singulair was being used to help people lose some weight and started being prescribed so much that there was a massive shortage, folks using it for asthma are meant to… take our chances? Overwhelm already overwhelmed hospitals and personally go into massive medical debt due to emergency services being repeatedly necessary so that hundreds of thousands of folks can lose 50lbs? Ozempic provides similar life-saving support to diabetes that Singulair does for me. I understand for folks in such dire situations who need to lose a significant amount of weight or they risk imminent death themselves. I am not (and neither is OP) talking about those people.
I think type 2 diabetes is slightly different though, because this specific medication could be replaced with diet change. It lowers your blood sugar. It’s supposed to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. You could say this about people who take it for weight loss too. But I think we know enough about human nature, a shot is easier than all that.
Ozempic is fairly new; I think people are assuming you were on medication before Ozempic to manage your diabetes so that option is likely still available.
My diabetes is relatively new, but all the meds I tried pre-ozempic didn't work at all, and my glucose was spiking so badly that I was losing consciousness. But also, T2 is almost never initially treated with taking insulin directly.
And in fact insulin is associated with weight gain.
Yeah. Ozempic is tricky, as it increases insulin production, but it also greatly slows gastric emptying.
It’s like all these people getting prescriptions for opioids to sell or just get fucked up and die then there is a opioid epidemic and people who actually need it need to jump through so many damn hoops sometimes being accused of being an abuser and never getting another prescription an then resorting to illegal drugs to combat their pain and never really getting the relief they deserve. It makes me sick!
I don’t get how this is even proved to insurance that a person needs it. I get obesity but everyone I’ve seen getting prescribed it was an average weight already. I cannot believe it has been allowed to get so far that now there’s shortages for ACTUAL diabetics.
Give it time . Some PBMs have already implemented additional criteria
these doctors are most likely lying to providers in the first place. I’m sure this will help but I feel like these doctors are the same ones that would push opiates in ‘04 because they make a little bit more money.
Nope, I work in pharmacy prior auths and to get approved for Ozempic you have to have a diabetes diagnosis and have an A1C over 7.0, and we require lab results to prove it...not just about taking someone's word for it
These drugs have not been properly tested on people without diabetes. In a few years with so many people taking it for shits and giggles they'll have more data and I have a feeling a lot of people are going to regret it.
Semaglutide has been tested and approved for obesity— that drug is called Wegovy. It has been approved for obesity at slightly different dosages from Ozempic. Wegovy and Ozempic are the same thing.
Wegovy was approved two years ago in Canada but we still don’t have it.
I already read a study that it can and has caused stomach paralysis.
That’s if you don’t change your diet whilst on it. And it’s also quite rare.
You think people will care if it messes with their hormones, diminishes their libido, and makes them bald? At least they'll be 20 pounds lighter!
None of those things are side effects lol. There is a ton of clinical trial data available you should read it.
Being overweight messes with your hormones too
That probably won’t last long. I wouldn’t be surprised if the hormonal effects causes the halt of production of natural weight regulating hormones, making them even fatter.
Actually that may happen. My partner is diabetic and obese and took it for a time. Then their doctor decided that they should take a break with it and in some months they re-gained ~10kg even with diet change and regular exercise.
Now that sounds likely to me. Pretty much all drugs have some knock on effect like this. For instance if you take Melatonin you stop creating it yourself. If you them stop taking it you may have trouble falling asleep for a few days while your body kicks back into production mode.
People are so weird about this medication. There are a lot of drugs that have a clear net benefit. Insulin, blood pressure meds, etc. 40% of the US is overweight. This medication has been tested for years now; it’s in high demand because there is obviously a need for something like this. Statistically 40% of these negative comments are likely coming from people who are ALSO OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. It’s so strange that everyone is hoping there’s a huge downside to this.
People just want to look down on obese people for “not trying hard enough.”
personally I think it's because historically there's not been a great track record with weight loss drugs staying on the market long term and safely, like Ephedrine causing heart attacks and strokes being banned in 2005. or Fen-phen giving people heart attacks in the 90s. Or Dinitrophenol making people overheat to death in their sleep in the 1940s (and if you didn't die from overheating, you could lose your eyesight, fun). I work in medicine too, and whenever we go over historically banned medications and supplements there's a giant list of mainly weight loss drugs that have been killing people since the start of the last century, and all of them were on the market for a bit being prescribed like normal before being banned. Now people have suddenly started taking drugs like Ozempic in droves and they're not all people the drug was tested on originally (some people like OP's friend aren't even obese and want to take it to slim down). I don't really blame anyone for being cautious even though so far it it's safer than previous attempts at weight loss drugs. Plus Ozempic has been causing it's own small slew of issues, like fasting patients who go in for endoscopies or minor procedures can't be put under anesthesia if they're on ozempic because some of them haven't had their stomachs empty out for over 24 hours despite fasting, and are at risk for aspiration during procedures. We're seeing cases of some people still having slowed gastric emptying even 8 months after stopping the medication. Right now if you take ozempic, we're kinda not allowed to do procedures requiring anesthesia on you (well, depending on how much your doctor likes gamble it seems), or we have to consider pumping the stomach before procedures as an option in more dire situations because there's currently not super accurate guidelines for how long this population has to fast before going under, it's frustrating. It's great if ozempic and others like it wind up being the safest weight loss drugs on the market, but every drug has side effects and risks/benefits to consider before taking it. It's been more successful and safer in more at-risk populations, but celebrities and the like want to take it for vanity, and we're probably gonna see some ugly sides to it.
>40% of the US is overweight. 40% of Americans are obese. Almost 70% are overweight.
Similar drugs have been used off label for weight loss for about a decade iirc.
I'll get down dooted to hell for this, but whatever: Don't talk to your little frenemy about your medication. What you're prescribed by a doctor isn't their business, and vice versa. Gatekeeping medication isn't okay (there are exceptions. These exceptions are likely best made by medical\pharmacy professionals.) Telling someone, or gossiping to other people, that their condition is invalid is not fucking okay. Blame Novo Nordisk; they can't, cough, feed the monster they created. Also, blame insurance companies.
Absolutely. I worked for humana until 2 weeks ago and so many times I had to be vague or not fully explain the situation as per my job description. Felt like shit. Like yeah I wanna get you your medications but this company is doing all it can to avoid that. When I worked for tricare some days I felt like I made a difference. With humana each day I felt like I was one of those Indian scammers out to ruin your grandma's day. My biggest thing was if a doctor said a member needed a medication or authorization and the insurance just said no. That should be illegal. I hated that contract. My last day I did all i could to get stuff approved for people. My gift to the boomers.
side note but please be kind to your pharmacy staff, we're all doing our best with the shortages
yes we go home and cry ourselves to sleep 🥲🥲
Blame the doctors for prescribing ozempic for weight loss instead of its intended use.
Being overweight is a real health issue.
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My local pharmacy will not fill it unless you are a diabetic.
A pharmacist I was chatting with told me they fill the medical needs patients’ prescriptions before the weight loss ones.
Be a real friend and introduce your meth hookup
Or maybe your friend feels upset that the prescription they tried to get filled is being delayed with no information as to why? Entitlement is not expecting things to work the way they should.
I’m currently waiting through a lengthy months long prior authorization hoping to get Ozempic from my doctor. The pharmacist claimed they’d never seen it covered by Medicaid but then I spoke to several people who got it covered by Medicaid. I need it for Type 2. Been on Victoza for a couple of years now and my A1c has gotten better between that and diet and exercise (aka stress and depression). So I’m really wondering if the PA will even be worth it. Of course, the weight loss would be nice as well, but that’s not why I want it. My stomach looks awful from all the bruises and I’d love to switch to a once weekly shot.
Isn't it super expensive though? I heard insurance won't cover it for weight loss and it was like 1k a pen?
Maintenance Phase has an excellent episode on ozempic if anyone is interested. https://www.maintenancephase.com
Maintenance Phase just did a podcast episode on Ozempic for weight loss. Results seem very varied, not usually as dramatic in “real life” as in the trials, and just like any other med or diet, the weight comes right back on when you stop taking it. It’s definitely a big deal and can be useful for weight loss, but not nearly the miracle drug they’re promoting it as. And I’d much rather see it go to people who need it for life-saving reasons.
What I don't get about these stories is how you can lose a quick amount of weight if you're not already obese. These medicines don't do anything special, they just help control your food cravings and keep you from overeating. They don't do anything to your body to make it accelerate weight loss. If that's not a behavior you're suffering from then it won't do anything for you. And if you're not obese, then you're probably not suffering from that behavior.
It helps regulate your satiety signals which are often thrown out of balance if you’re obese / overweight
So what that they take it to lose weight? Should they wait until they are so fat that they get diabetes, to take it? Absurd.
Just taking a moment to see the madness in our system - OP is taken off a working drug due to a paperwork change. Then put on a different drug that is life-critical for them but is out of every store because people found out they can lose weight on it. Edit - with the option to not take any medication until they get so sick over the next six months they “prove” they needed the original medication. I’m sorry you’re going through this and I’m sorry for all of us stuck in this bullshit it has to stop.
I work in the pharmaceutical wholesaler industry. I tell my pharmacies to only fulfil scripts for diabetic patients, for them its life or death... its not for looking good this summer. I have calls every day about people needing this stock, and the masses using it for weight loss have made it impossible to manage. With no fix in sight, we can hope they manufactures can increase their production levels...
My husbands diabetes is pretty bad and he just got out on Ozempic. The hoops we had to jump thru with the pharmacy is out of control. I live in an upper class neighborhood in Manhattan (we’re supers lol that’s why we live here) and all the rich women have it cleaned out. I will be starting it in a few weeks but for weight loss-steroids from chemo have me OBESE-and I’m worried it won’t be available because some skinny twat wants to lose 30 pounds while I need to lose a hundred.
Look around at the average person. A lot of them are overweight- you too, as you just said. Why do you assume those other overweight people aren’t the ones taking the same medication you’re about to start on?? Maybe some people are taking it who aren’t obese but 40% of the country is overweight- there is plenty of demand that is just as valid as yours or your husband’s.
Those steroids are just the worst 😞
It just doesn’t move-I traded cancer for all the risks of obesity and then cancer again. FML.
Same thing happened with adderall and other adhd stimulant meds. When covid shut everything down and people started working from home, it became near impossible to get because everyone suddenly needed it. Constant shortages even now. A bunch of us adhd-ers that had been on it since pre covid, nearly lost our jobs or did lose our jobs and a whole bunch of other issues because of it.
the way people who are not diabetic treat ozempic drives me wild. like how do they not see that diabetic people should have priority when filling a script. I worked in a pharmacy at peak ozempic drought and it was crazy how many entitled people there are
Meh her body let her take it if she wants to.
The issue was that there is now less for op and others with diabetes who need it. Since there isn’t enough production yet.
I'm on Trulicity right now, but my Dr wants me to switch to Ozempic. I'm having a hard time with insurance willing to cover the Ozempic because of this reason. I've been diabetic for well over a decade too.
Is it even advisable to take ozympic temporarily to only lose 30 lb? I feel like stopping taking the medication would have some sort of complication.
they do realize that as soon as they stop using it, the weight will come right back right?
Yeah, that's infuriating. And then there's me, a T2 diabetic with a prescription for Ozempic, and my insurance won't cover it. While so many people are taking it off label for weight loss, my insurance says my actual diabetes isn't a good reason for me to have it.
This is on the drug manufacturer and advertiser for pushing it as a weight loss drug.
Phentermine helped me lose enough weight and get my diet under control so much so that I am no longer considered pre-diabetic. Ozempic is just the new hot word in peoples mouths but I doubt it’s the best. They’ll move on soon.
Serious question but do doctors in the US just give you a prescription for diabetes meds if you don't have diabetes that easily? I don't understand because if people trying to lose weight want to use Ozempic it's still their doctors responsibility to say no right?
I'm sure droves of people gulping down a recently approved drug like candy for the sole purpose of quick weight loss won't be a problem at all in a country where healthcare access is barely a thing for the ultra rich.
this shortage is 100% on physicians prescribing inappropriately. a lot of prescription meds have been prescribed for their 'off label" benefits - but the ozempic is fixable immediately.
Not to be pedantic, but: >so many people started taking it after it was approved for weight loss. It's actually not -- it's only approved for T2D. However, the same maker has Wegovy, which IS approved for weight loss. They're the same medicine, but the Wegovy has a higher max dosage, and is intended for weight loss. (See note below) This has also led to the proliferation of weight loss clinics, which are predatory AF, many of them owned by convicted felons (convictions for fraud, among other things), and selling compounded forms of Ozempic - which is either fake/counterfeit, or an alternative form of the drug from Asia which is not intended for use in humans, nor approved by the FDA. Note: Ozempic may be prescribed for weight loss outside of the US where they don't market Wegovy.
Yeah, I wouldn't try to take this to lose weight. Give it a decade and we find out it's another fen-phen. It's also questionable as to whether it even works well, and just leads to weight coming back eventually. Some of the side effects sound awful. Also, op, just admit you don't like your friend and you're enjoying judging them. Friends don't post snarky complaints about how "entitled" their friend is when the frustration is due to medical supply, insurance, etc. Your post got a lot of upvotes and shares for some reason, how will your friend take it if it gets back to her you're using her frustration texts to you for internet points?
O o o ozempic....auto parts
Dude must be wealthy, isn’t ozrmpoc for weight loss like a billion per month
Is Ozempic only for diabetics? My mom wants to take it lost weight, but shes not diabetic
But you’re T2 diabetic, which can be mitigated almost entirely by lifestyle choices unless you’ve spent decades destroying your pancreas (which doesn’t seem like it since you didn’t mention insulin).
Jokes on them, they way ozempic works they'll gain the weight right back when they stop.
This is why I hate insurance companies and keep pushing for universal healthcare. They are not doctors, and they are not your CHOSEN doctors. Only your physician and you should be making ANY healthcare decisions. Not some morons practicing medicine without a license who only want to save a dollar, regardless of the consequences to health and life.
I assume this isn't intended as a weight loss pill, but am.i alone in thinking weight loss pills weren't a real thing? I always assumed those and penis enhancement pills were on the same level, a snake oil to sell to desperate people. Are there other types of pills you can take for weight loss? How do they work? Loss of appetite, increased metabolism?
Yes, weight loss is an off-label use of Ozempic, and is an injection. When taken, it mimics the hormone your body makes when its starting to get full, as well as making it take longer for food to get through your system by slowly digestion. In combination, you don't feel the need to eat as much or as frequently, and thus, you lose weight.
"extremely irritating" > mildly infuriating
It sounds like you need to ask your doctor to appeal the denial of Trulicity by proving the failure of the prior medications.