In a time dominated by social media and the pursuit of the perfect body, medications like Ozempic have captured the attention of millions as the latest trend in weight loss. From TikTok to Instagram, hashtags like “#ozempic” and “#wegovy,” which is another popular drug sweeping the market, have exploded with over 300 million views.
Ozempic and Wegovy are both types of medications known as GLP-1 agonists that help control blood sugar levels and reduce hunger. Ozempic is specifically used for treating diabetes, while Wegovy is approved for individuals who are overweight or obese. Mounjaro and Zepbound are similar drugs; Mounjaro is for diabetes and Zepbound is for obesity. A side effect of all of these drugs is weight loss.
Prescriptions for medications like Ozempic have tripled in the last three years, fueled by celebrity endorsements promising rapid weight loss. Production cannot meet demand, leaving individuals struggling to access medications, whether for weight loss or diabetes.
Kyndal Hendrix, a freshman psychology major at the University of Mississippi, has been taking Ozempic since October 2023 as a pre-diabetic measure.
“It’s hard for people that do have diabetes or are pre-diabetic to get it (Ozempic) because it’s flying off the shelves,” Hendrix said.
Hendrix gets her medication shipped to her from her pharmacy in Baldwyn, Miss., but she explained the difficulties of switching insurances to cover the high costs. Ozempic can cost up to $848.98 per dose without insurance at retail drug stores in Lafayette County.
“Starting it was kind of a struggle because our insurance company would sometimes cover it at first, and then sometimes it wouldn’t because it was in such high demand,” Hendrix said.
Hayden Turner, a Madison, Miss., native who has been using Ozempic for weight loss since July 2022, had to resort to online pharmacists due to her insurance and the popularity of the drug.
“I tried for months to get it, but insurance issues and high demand made it nearly impossible. I ended up resorting to online sources just to get the active ingredient,” Turner said.
Because she is not diabetic, Turner’s insurance provider would not cover the cost of Ozempic. This led her to resort to online alternatives.
“I ended up having to go and find a website through some doctor in New Orleans called Dope Doctors. I don’t even talk to the doctor on the phone. They just prescribe it through there, and then I get a delivery,” Turner said.
Riley Thrasher, a sophomore political science major from Birmingham, Ala., has been using Ozempic since December 2023 for her binge eating disorder. She has also faced challenges in accessing the drug.
“You’ve got to make sure that you go to fill it with an ample amount of time. Like, sometimes they don’t have it right when you walk in,” Thrasher said.
Thrasher had been trying to get a prescription for the drug for nearly six months. Now that she is regularly on it, she has to ship it in from her pharmacy at home due to the drug’s low availability in Mississippi.
The situation is not only about availability, but also off-label use, which is the practice of prescribing a drug for a different purpose than what has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Ozempic is specifically designed to treat Type 2 diabetes, but it is increasingly being prescribed for weight loss, which is a side effect of the drug.
Sally Earl, a clinical assistant professor at the UM School of Pharmacy, is worried about the ethical implications of off-label use.
“There’s a concern about providers prescribing these medications off-label without proper oversight … If something goes wrong, you can’t just call your primary care provider,” Earl said. “It’s important to address the root causes of weight issues and not just rely on medications as a quick fix.”
Demand has become so high that Novo Nordisk, the Danish multinational pharmaceutical company that created Ozempic, has been rationing its production of Victoza, another form of diabetes medication, to prioritize Ozempic production.
“It is such good weight loss medicine, increased demand may be more than what manufacturers expected,” Earl said, “I think they (Novo Nordisk) knew that this would be a blockbuster drug, but I don’t think they knew how quickly it would be adopted.”
Earl also attributes the rise in Ozempic prescriptions to its high cost, which is on average $915 per dose in the U.S.
“I do think there was a large financial incentive that physicians saw,” Earl said.
As pharmaceutical companies invest billions in combating the Ozempic shortage by manufacturing similar drugs like Mounjaro and Rybelsis, some fear the potential long-term implications of such drug use.
“The concerns with this drug are unique because of our society’s obsession with weight … I mean, they’ve been around a lot longer for diabetes control, but we just don’t know the full side effects yet,” UM Clinical Assistant Professor Anastasia Jenkins said.
Despite its high cost and unknown health effects, , many still take from the drug, whether for weight loss or diabetes.
“It’s definitely going to be an issue if they don’t make more,” Hendrix said.
