Counterfeit weight-loss and diabetes medication on the rise

By Jenna Wilson

Authorities and health officials across the U.S. are warning the public about the rise of counterfeit versions of medications like Ozempic.

Ozempic, generically semaglutide, is an injection used to treat people with Type 2 diabetes. It can also cause weight loss and has grown in popularity over the past year, leading to a high demand for the product. Areas around the U.S., including St. Joseph in 2023, have faced shortages due to the increasing demand.

“So far in the United States, the manufacturer has been able to keep up with demand after some hurdles,” said JulieMarie Nickelson, a pharmacist at Rogers Pharmacy. “Though getting it all over the world is kind of a struggle and different offshore companies are trying to take advantage of the situation by making a fake product.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration at the end of 2023, “thousands of units” of counterfeit Ozempic that had caused side effects were seized from the U.S. drug supply.

“Counterfeit medications, you don’t know what’s in them. It might be the real medication, but if it is, it’s probably going to be the wrong dosing,” Nickelson said. “And if it’s not that medication, there have been some reports, I think in the UK, where it was actually insulin in that pen, and patients took extremely high doses of insulin and ended up in a diabetic coma or worse, passing away.”

Nickelson said it’s always very important to make sure you’re getting your medications from trusted pharmacies.

“The prescriptions that we get come directly from our wholesaler who gets them directly from the manufacturer,” she said. “There is no intermediary there that could do something to cause or products to be counterfeit.”

Patients should report suspicious Ozempic medication by calling your local FDA consumer complaint coordinator.