When GLP-1 medication for diabetes and weight reduction arrived on the scene two years in the past, sufferers flocked to them. GLP-1s, together with Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, are so common that they quickly ran out of inventory. In accordance with one current research by KFF Well being Monitoring, one in eight adults used GLP-1.
Demand reveals no indicators of slowing down, and in consequence, counterfeit GLP-1 medication have gotten a much bigger a part of the panorama — a lot so, in actual fact, that the World Well being Group (WHO) final week issued a warning to folks to beware faux variations. Together with the warning, drug makers Eli Lily and Novo Nordisk filed lawsuits towards a number of organizations to cease the sale of fakes.
“As soon as these medication hit the market, demand was so excessive that pharmacies ran out of them,” says Dr. Supriya Rao of Integrative Gastroenterology Consultants in Massachusetts. »
A pharmaceutical pharmacy creates medicines utilizing primary components, moderately than allotting brand-name medicines comparable to Ozempic and Wegovy. Medical spas, many on-line sources, and over-the-counter pharmacies will not be regulated by the FDA, so there aren’t any ensures of what a affected person can get from certainly one of these sources. “Compounded medication are basically ‘copycats’ of accessible medication, however they don’t have the identical assurances of security, high quality, and efficacy because the authorised medication as a result of these compounded variations shouldn’t have FDA approval,” explains Dr. Carolyn Jasik, Chief Medical Officer Omada Well being. .
Likewise, counterfeit medication — comparable to these you would possibly discover at medical spas or on-line — will not be regulated. “Faux medicines are, it doesn’t matter what, harmful and may result in critical well being penalties,” Jasik says. “These drugs could include poisonous doses, the unsuitable components, or no lively components in any respect. Briefly, you are paying for medication that may both hurt you or do nothing in any respect.”
A few of the dangers chances are you’ll face with the unregulated type of GLP-1 embrace, however will not be restricted to, nausea and diarrhea, irregular blood sugar ranges, and injection website infections.
Usually, sufferers are drawn to those different sources not solely as a result of originals are scarce, but additionally as a result of they are often prohibitively costly.
“Semaglutide medication are precious and efficient, however we’re now at some extent the place the availability chain and price could make these medication out of attain for a lot of most of the people,” Jasik says. “It is essential to notice that this can be a giant a part of what drives the event of counterfeit medication within the first place. As a healthcare supplier, it saddens me that these life-saving medication are so tough to acquire and that it has come to counterfeit medication that reap the benefits of folks’s wishes and medical wants.”
The primary message: purchaser beware.
The right way to keep away from faux Ozempic, Wegovy and different GLP-1
Purchase solely from state-licensed pharmacies
As tempting as it could be to go for the cheaper options in the marketplace — or simply get your palms on a GLP-1 drug — specialists advocate staying away. “Shoppers can buy their drugs from state-licensed pharmacies or FDA-registered outsourcing services to reduce the danger of counterfeiting,” says Simone Dorff, PharmD and scientific pharmacist at First Databank Inc. “It is very important confirm prescriptions from licensed well being professionals and keep away from drugs advisable by unverified on-line sources or social media influencers.”
Do your individual analysis when shopping for any medicine on-line
The FDA’s BeSafeRx web site is an efficient supply of correct data to be taught earlier than you click on purchase. The positioning warns towards web sites posing as on-line pharmacies and advises shoppers to purchase pharmaceuticals solely from state-licensed on-line pharmacies, and presents a locator software to seek out them. He additionally recommends speaking to your physician about any drugs you purchase on-line.
Examine the packaging and labels
A certain signal that you’re coping with a faux is spelling errors on the label or poor high quality printing. Learn every label rigorously to make sure its authenticity. Together with these pink flags, others embrace a lacking or added phrase within the drug title. It’s also possible to examine the serial and lot numbers on the FDA web site.
Keep away from compounding pharmacies
Rao additionally reminds shoppers that any medicine you place into your physique can have negative effects. These dangers solely improve if you happen to do not buy them from dependable sources. “Combining pharmacies is usually a slippery slope,” she says. “Relying on who’s shopping for the drugs, who is aware of what you are getting from day after day. Administering a drug from an unknown supply is dangerous.”
There are additionally essential steps to take with regards to weight reduction, whether or not you are utilizing a GLP-1 medicine or not, Yasik mentioned. These embrace constant self-monitoring, comparable to weighing your self; sustaining a balanced food plan; workout routines that assist construct muscle mass; and way of life programming to create a structured strategy.
Whether or not you determine to make use of weight reduction medicine or not, security ought to be on the coronary heart of your strategy. And if medicine is a part of it, much more so. “It is essential to cross-check that type of data with well being care suppliers,” Dorf mentioned. “Being conscious of the dangers related to counterfeit GLP-1 merchandise and taking proactive measures can go a good distance in defending shoppers. As demand for these drugs continues to develop, vigilance by each shoppers and regulators is crucial to make sure the security and effectiveness of diabetes and weight problems therapies.”
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