While drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly assert that shortages of popular weight loss and diabetes medications Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound are easing, many patients continue to face challenges accessing the drugs, NPR reported Sept. 6.
Novo Nordisk recently said its supply of its GLP-1 drugs has improved, with the exception of the starting dose of the medication. Eli Lilly claimed its production facilities have been operating at full capacity to meet the high demand for Mounjaro and Zepbound.
However, anecdotally, patients continue to report difficulties accessing the drugs. Bill Combs, a patient from Boston, told the news outlet he was informed that his pharmacy was out of stock of Wegovy when he went to refill his prescription in late August.
"There may be many reasons why a particular pharmacy does not have a particular dose of the medicine in stock," Eli Lilly spokesperson Rachel Servig wrote in an email to NPR. "Lilly recommends that patients contact their pharmacy approximately one week before the medicine is needed to start the prescription refill process sooner."
Novo Nordisk spokesperson Jamie Bennett told NPR the company can't control which pharmacies or patients get Ozempic in the U.S.
The FDA continues to list these drugs in shortage, requiring manufacturers to prove they can meet demand and fulfill back orders before lifting the designation.