August 9, 2024
When “available” doesn’t mean “available”
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Mounjaro is available, crows Eli Lilly. Ditto for Zepbound! Novo Nordisk reports the same for Ozempic and Wegovy. Our long national nightmare is over. The unspoken implication being that compounders are no longer needed to supply GLP-1 drugs. Except for one small thing: “Available” is very, very different than “out of shortage.” In fact, as this Politico article explains, pharmacists still can’t get many of the dosages patients need. Whether it’s because Lilly and Novo’s dictionaries define available as “we have some in stock” or it’s a matter of getting it to wholesalers, the reality is that both semaglutide and tirzepatide injections are still in shortage. That’s why the FDA still includes both on its shortage list. We wouldn’t go so far as to say the pharma companies are disingenuous by claiming that the drugs are “available,” but the fact remains (and the FDA is clear) that patients can’t get them and yes, compounders are still needed to fill the gaps. |
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