Ozempic shortage continues, forcing greater regulation for patients
The national medicine regulator has introduced restrictions on the prescription of diabetes drug Ozempic to help manage an international shortage . Danish company Novo Nordisk advised the Therapeutic Goods Administration that supply of the drug through the rest of 2023 and 2024 will be limited, following increased demand of the low dose (0.25/0.5 mg) version recently. The shortage has been linked to a social media trend in which people use it as a weight loss tool. Catch the best deals and products hand-picked by our team at Best Picks >> The TGA has blamed the shortage on “off-label prescribing”, where the drug is being advised for uses other than those approved in Australia. “Making Ozempic involves a complex process to produce semaglutide using specialised equipment in a unique manufacturing setting,” the TGA advised on its website. “Novo Nordisk advised that very limited new supplies of Ozempic 0.25/0.5 mg would be available before the end of 2023 and there would be intermi...