Ozempic shortage hits diabetes patient after weight loss use
BBC By Stephen Fairclough
BBC News
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.
