Ozempic shortage hits diabetes patient after weight loss use

Ozempic is a drug which is prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes

A man with diabetes has just a month's supply left of a drug to help manage his condition after a surge in demand by people using it to lose weight.

It follows a global shortage of the drug Ozempic, with supplies not expected to return to normal until June 2024 at the earliest.

The Welsh government said people's medication will be reviewed and alternatives prescribed where possible.

John Whale, 72, has lived with type 2 diabetes for seven years.

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Mr Whale was prescribed a weekly Ozempic injection earlier this year for a high blood sugar count.

"I started that regime at the beginning of March and my blood test result in June was down to I think 57.

"It had more than halved in three months, so I thought I was on the right track here."

One side effect of the drug - which contains the active ingredient semaglutide - is that it suppresses people's appetite, and as a result it has gained popularity as an aid to losing weight.

But the rush for it has resulted in a global shortage, with diabetics like John now struggling to get the supplies they need.

Mr Whale said: "There's a pharmacy linked to my surgery across the road, they said we can't get it.

"I got the prescription rewritten and I took it out there and to just about every chemist in north Cardiff, and it's totally out of stock.

"Something needs to be done because you're storing up a lot of trouble and discomfort, and death even, in future years if people can't get this regular treatment.

"I just feel that as diabetics, this is a medicine that was designed for us and we can't get it - I can go online and get a private prescription but it's more than half my pension and I can't afford that."

Mr Whale said he is concerned that if he cannot access the drug he will develop a complication from his continued high blood sugars.

"That could mean possibly disability benefits or care or hospitalisation, all of which is going to be an added expense to the Welsh or UK government," he added.

John Whale says every chemist he tried has been out of stock of diabetes drug Ozempic

Supplies are not expected to return to normal until June 2024, which is said to be a concern for charities working with diabetes.

Rachel Burr, director of Diabetes Cymru, said: "[People are] sitting at home, they're reading the news, and it can be very stressful thing to be thinking that their medication may run out.

"It's really concerning to us that it's being prescribed off-label at a time when people are not able to access their medication for type 2 diabetes.

"We would certainly like to see clinicians adhering to the guidance that's been given. It should only be prescribed for people in Wales and the UK for people living with type 2 diabetes."

The Welsh government said: "Due to the extent and anticipated duration of the global supply disruption, in line with practice in all parts of the UK, people currently prescribed semaglutide will have their medication reviewed and, where necessary, an alternative treatment will be prescribed."