Australian diabetics are being stranded with out an important medicine after social media influencers touted it as a miracle weight reduction drug.

The therapy referred to as Ozempic is injected weekly to assist management blood sugar in sort 2 diabetes sufferers, along with food plan and train. An estimated 1 in 20 Australians have diabetes, based mostly on knowledge from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Nationwide Well being Survey. About one in 10 Individuals have diabetes, in response to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).

The scarcity is considerably affecting individuals utilizing Ozempic for its authorized use for sort 2 diabetes.
TGA joint assertion

However a TikTok development lauding Ozempic's weight reduction advantages has left Australian sufferers struggling to get their palms on vital doses. The social media app has been flooded with customers recording their use of the drug to shed kilos, with the hashtag #Ozempic amassing over 74 million views.

Pharmacy Shelves
Diabetics in Australia are being stranded with out an important medicine after social media influencers touted it as a miracle weight reduction drug. “The scarcity is considerably affecting individuals utilizing Ozempic for its authorized use for sort 2 diabetes," stated Australia’s Therapeutic Items Administration. ADEM ALTAN / Contributor/AFP

Ozempic Scarcity

In response to the nationwide scarcity, Australia's Therapeutic Items Administration (TGA) issued a joint assertion with a number of medical and pharmaceutical teams on Might 17. The company urged docs to restrict their prescriptions of Ozempic to its authorized use after "an sudden enhance in client demand."

"The elevated demand is because of intensive prescribing for weight problems administration, for which Ozempic just isn't indicated," the assertion stated. "The scarcity is considerably affecting individuals utilizing Ozempic for its authorized use for sort 2 diabetes."

The TGA additionally inspired diabetics to contact their pharmacies "as early as attainable" to have their prescriptions stuffed, slightly than ready till their drugs got here near operating out.

In 2021, one other diabetes medicine referred to as Wegovy was authorized by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) to be bought as a weight reduction drug in the USA. Wegovy remains to be being assessed for weight administration by the TGA.

TikToker Sophia Woods, who posts underneath the username @the.builders.spouse, racked up practically 300,000 views on a video sharing her "Ozempic weight reduction."

@the.builders.spouse

It’s loopy how a lot I don’t really feel like consuming anymore #ozempic#ozempicweightloss#ozempicaustralia

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"In 3 weeks I went down a complete gown dimension with out 'making an attempt' to food plan," she claimed within the clip. "Right now I squeezed into these dimension 12 denims. My urge for food has decreased a lot. It took two photographs of Ozempic."

One other lady named Cassie who posts as @_life.of.cassie_ has documented her use of Ozempic over a number of weeks.

On week 16, she stated in a video with 27,500 views, her weight had fallen from 83 kilograms (183 kilos) to 74.8 kilograms (165 kilos).

TikTok has been a platform for doubtful well being recommendation earlier than.

Lately, DIY child system recipes went viral amid the child system scarcity in the USA.

Each the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have warned that at-home child system recipes and substitute milks are harmful to infants.

Newsweek reached out to the TGA for remark.