SCRANTON, Pa. — Ray Grace of Dunmore heard about it from his doctor: The social media trend that's part of the reason he hasn't been able to get his prescription for his diabetes medication refilled.
"I contacted CVS. I contacted the Geisinger pharmacies. Luckily, the Geisinger clinic had some emergency samples on hand, so I'm good for the month, but now it's just waiting. What happens when the month is over?" Grace wondered.
He takes the injectable medication Ozempic to regulate his blood sugar levels.
But if you search #Ozempic on TikTok, you'd have no idea it's a medicine to treat Type 2 diabetes.
The drug can also curb your appetite and has often been prescribed for people who are obese or struggling with a weight-related condition.
But it doesn't take much scrolling on social media to discover plenty of people, including celebrities who are not obese and not diabetic, are taking Ozempic or something similar to lose weight.
"While it might be a quick fad, it definitely does affect others who need it for day-to-day life. I'm afraid to eat. I eat anything, and my sugars go through the roof. It's just a horrible way to live," Grace said.
Manufacturers are shouldering some of the blame.
While Ozempic is not approved by the FDA for weight management, a similar medication called Wegovy got approval earlier this year. The drug maker was quoted in the Wall Street Journal, admitting the company failed to anticipate the demand that followed.
Scranton pharmacist Tom DePietro says another factor might be that it's just too easy to get a prescription.
"I think there's pathways that offer too easy of a way out. Telemedicine is great, and it was life-saving during the COVID pandemic, but I think it has allowed very liberal practices in regards to some of those medications we talked about."
DePietro calls the influence of social media on certain drug usage "alarming."
But diabetes medication is just one of the many products pharmacists are having trouble getting.
DePietro and his staff spend a lot of time telling customers they're out of basic medicines, anything from amoxicillin to children's Tylenol.
"Maybe we'll have that conversation five times a day. Now we're having 30 to 40 phone calls a day to let them know of the issue."
As for the diabetes meds, DePietro has been told by suppliers that the situation should improve in the new year.
But whether that means January, March, or later, it's impossible to say.
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