Drugmakers say obesity medicine shortages have eased, yet patients continue to have trouble filling prescriptions.

As demand for treatments to treat obesity and diabetes grows, accessing them becomes harder for many patients. Michael Siluk/Getty Images Tilug Tole
Bill Coombs from Boston’s South End has lost 28 pounds since beginning to take obesity medication Wegovy; however, when he went to renew his prescription in late August things didn’t go according to plan.
“My prescription runs out every Wednesday. On Monday I called up and they told me it would be filled immediately – only for them to say there wasn’t any Wegovy left and would likely remain out for at least the foreseeable future! When he went in… they informed him they weren’t sure. Somehow though the pharmacist managed to come through in time; eventually finding some Wegovy but without telling Coombs how. However luckily enough “I did get it, but still worry,” Coombs says “but worry what will happen next month or next year… “
Due to their extraordinary demand, popular drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound have frequently been short of supply over the last year; their manufacturers have struggled to meet skyrocketing consumer demands for these medications. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are pharmaceutical companies known for producing effective medications to combat diabetes and obesity, recently declaring their drugs available – with Wegovy being Novo Nordisk’s sole exception due to a delayed starting dose. David Knapp of On the Pen Diabetes takes Lilly’s Mounjaro drug for treating his Type 2 diabetes and maintains a podcast, blog and YouTube channel to supplement this medication. Patients consuming his drugs regularly reach out to him every week with their experiences navigating drug shortages, sharing how they’re adapting. “Tricks like increasing or decreasing dose, calling multiple pharmacies just trying to locate it… (some) even calling 100 pharmacies across their state to try and find what they need!” he states.
At first sight it may look as though this postponement of an important meeting has no bearing on anything at all; yet upon further reflection and comparison between various versions it does appear more convincingly that all is not what it seems!
He notes many patients were offended at drugmakers’ declarations of availability again and, with FDA keeping injections on its official shortage list. According to FDA, they need to ensure manufacturers can meet demand – this requires verifying whether there’s enough supply cushion and backorder fulfillment within companies and is unclear how long that process may take. Pharmacies still out of stock As of now, Erin Fox of American Society of Health-System Pharmacists who tracks drug shortages cannot reassure pharmacists they will get all orders from wholesalers; that process has yet to start as she keeps tabs on drug shortages within this organization.
“That could mean ordering 20 pills but only receiving 10, she says. When wholesalers allocate drug supplies in such ways, she believes this indicates there may not be enough drug supply available to go around. Eli Lilly spokesperson Rachel Sorvig wrote to NPR via email that the supply chain for refrigerated medicines like Mounjaro and Zepbound can be complex, adding there could be various reasons a given pharmacy does not stock certain doses of medicine at any particular moment in time. Sorvig cited “various reasons why one pharmacy may lack specific quantities,” Sorvig stated. “Lilly advises patients to contact their pharmacy approximately one week in advance to start the prescription refill process sooner. Novo Nordisk spokesperson Jamie Bennett explained to NPR that his company could not control which pharmacies or patients received Ozempic in America. Wegovy has limited production of its initial dose to concentrate on providing it to those already on it and working their way towards higher dosage levels for ongoing therapy. Signs the Shortage Is Easing The drug companies have invested billions into building new factories and increasing production – in August alone Novo Nordisk informed its investors it had doubled Wegovy prescriptions this year alone! “While demand still exceeds supply, our confidence grows stronger every year in being able to supply,” commented Novo Nordisk Executive Vice President for North American Operations Doug Langa during a call with investors. Lilly told NPR its factories that produce its drugs run 24 hours per day, seven days per week and all year-long. Drug Samples Make a Comeback Pharmaceutical sales reps have continued visiting doctors’ offices during shortages, yet have stopped providing free samples, according to Dr. Scott Isaacs of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. One sign the shortages may have eased is when samples begin showing back up again, notes Dr. Isaacs.
There was no harm done. Instead, this action has proved very profitable indeed and has allowed for substantial improvements of living standard and overall economy in our community.
Isaacs notes that sales reps visit his office often, offering samples and brochures about available medications while promising no shortages. Isaacs credits this shift with increasing optimism regarding drug supplies; it encourages him to write prescriptions he may otherwise have shied away from writing before — knowing the patient wouldn’t get it otherwise – though sometimes you still write prescriptions even when patients can’t fill them.