How to navigate the Wegovy shortage

Each week, as of fall 2024, more than 25,000 new people start taking the GLP-1 medication Wegovy, according to its manufacturer,Novo Nordisk. But as the demand grows, the company can’t always keep up with it. The result? A Wegovy shortage.

But what exactly does that mean for people who takeWegovy for weight loss? Read on to learn about the shortage, its impact, and what to do if you can’t fill your prescription at the pharmacy.

Yes. According to the FDA, there iscurrently a shortage of semaglutide. (While this is true at the time of publication, things can change—visit theFDA trackerfor the latest shortage information.) Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide that’s FDA-approved for weight management.

A shortage happens when there’s not enough of the drug to meet the demand, says Dr. Michelle Ponder, M.D., an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. While shortages of Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications like Zepbound are ongoing, the availability of exact drugs and doses can change from day to day, says Ponder.

Wegovy is available in five doses ranging from 0.25mg to 2.4mg. So one month, there may be plenty of the higher doses of Wegovy available, but not enough of the lower doses; the next, it could be the opposite. So much depends on what doses of Wegovy people are taking in that particular moment.

The main reason for the Wegovy shortage is because the medication keeps growing in popularity. According to its manufacturer,Novo Nordisk, the number of new patients taking the drug has quadrupled in less than a year. Research shows that semaglutide can result in a 15 percent weight loss in a little over a year, leading more and more people to request the medication, says Dr. Deborah Horn, D.O., medical director at the University of Texas Center of Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance and a clinical associate professor of surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

Adding to the demand: Newer studies reveal that GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide can reduce the risk for diabetes and heart problems, such as heart attacks, in people with obesity. “Public awareness of these drugs has really grown,” says Ponder. “As more data comes out, doctors and providers have become more comfortable prescribing them, and more people are interested in their benefits.”

As a result, the manufacturer is struggling to make enough of the medication. Wegovy is a peptide, or chain of amino acids, packaged into a single-dose pen that patients inject weekly. “The process of manufacturing peptides is expensive and laborious,” says Ponder. “It’s more difficult to make these pens than tablets.”

The manufacturer announced that it has invested in more production sites to ultimately make more of the medicine, but that only helps future supply. In the meantime, experts predict that the shortage will last at least through the end of 2024.

Because of the Wegovy shortage, you may not be able to fill your prescription at your regular pharmacy. As a work-around, you may need to go to a different pharmacy, hit pause on taking the medication, switch to a different dose, or try an alternative drug. If you aren’t able to find Wegovy and, as a result, stop taking it, you may start gaining back some of the weight you’ve lost, which can derail your progress and health, Horn says.

On top of that, if you stop taking the medication for an extended period, then start again at your old dose when it’s back in stock, you can experience side effects, says Horn. Suddenly taking a large dose as opposed to gradually increasing your dose over time can lead to nausea, headaches, and more. (Find a full list ofWegovy side effectsby visiting the linkhere.) That’s why it’s important to always talk to your doctor if you can’t fill your prescription.

The first thing you can do is ask the pharmacist if there are any other locations that have the medication in stock. They can point you in the right direction, but you may need to do the legwork and call around to various pharmacies. “It’s frustrating for patients,” says Horn. “Many don’t have the time to spend hours calling around to different pharmacies.” If you’re a member of WeightWatchers Clinic, your Care Team will do the legwork for you. During a shortage, they’ll call up to 10 pharmacies in your area to track down the medicine you need. Another benefit to being a member of WeightWatchers Clinic is that if you do end up missing a dose, you can work with your clinician, registered dietitian, and fitness coach on implementing strategies that help you stay on track with your health goals.

Can’t locate your exact dosage? Talk to your healthcare provider; they may suggest taking a different dose of Wegovy until your usual medication is back in stock. “For example, if someone can’t get their 1 mg of Wegovy, I might recommend they go down to 0.5 mg for a month,” says Ponder. They may also recommend switching from Wegovy to an alternative medication for as long as the shortage lasts.

When you can’t find Wegovy, talk to your healthcare provider about your options. They include:

• Zepbound or Saxenda:Your doctor may suggest switching to another GLP-1 agonist that’s approved for weight loss (likeSaxenda for weight lossorZepbound for weight loss), although that’s generally not the first preference since the dosing and side effects vary between the drugs. “People can respond differently to the medications,” says Horn. “They may tolerate one well, but have side effects to another.” Plus, some of the other GLP-1 agonists also have ongoing shortages, so you’re not guaranteed to have a better supply of medicine.
  
  

• A different prescription weight-loss medication:There are other medications that are approved by the FDA for weight loss, although they’re less effective than Wegovy, says Horn. They act in different ways, and include Phentermine (adipex-P), Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate), Contrave (naltrexone and bupropion), and Orlistat (Xenical). Talk with your provider about the pros and cons of each, and whichweight-loss medicationmight be right for your unique health needs.

Thanks to the growing popularity of Wegovy, there’s an ongoing shortage of the drug. There may be times when you aren’t able to fill your prescription at your regular pharmacy. If that’s the case, talk to your pharmacist and call around to see if you can find another local pharmacy where it’s in stock. Your provider may also suggest another option, such as taking a different dose or trying a different medication for the short-term.