October 11, 2024
Reporter briefing: Patient impacts of tirzepatide shortage resolution
APC held a media briefing Wednesday with more than 30 reporters from across the country where we shared first-hand experiences of compounding pharmacists dealing with the fallout from tirzepatide coming off shortage. Compounders explained the issues they’re facing: patients who suddenly need to get new prescriptions, a lack of supply from their wholesalers, and confusion and frustration across the supply chain.
The goal of the call was to reinforce the message we’ve been sending for the past week: Removing Mounjaro and Zepbound from the shortage list was abrupt and premature, and it’s leaving patients and pharmacies scrambling to find their medication. As Jennifer Burch of Central Compounding Center in Durham, NC, put it, “Everyone is freaking out.”
Pharmacists on the call explained the tough conversations they’ve had with patients who don’t always understand what just happened, and why they can’t get their medication. (Here’s the first 22 minutes of the call so you can hear your peers’ firsthand accounts.) As Witt told the reporters, “There was a sense of frustration and concern that was palpable.”
This call was part of APC’s continuing effort to counter some of the — well, let’s call it what it is: nonsense — being peddled by Eli Lilly when it comes to the actual state of tirzepatide availability. It’s important that they, and policymakers, be aware of the reality of the situation being faced by patients and not rely on questionable and self-serving propaganda from drug makers.
