The viral Tik Tok trend of “slimming” down has caused a widespread shortage of Ozempic drugs. Produced by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, Ozempic is a drug used by Type 2 diabetic patients to regulate blood sugar levels and insulin. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Ozempic has been in shortage for about four months.

For more than 35 million Type 2 diabetic patients in the United States, the shortages have contributed to another hardship while managing an already complicated and costly chronic disease. The use of Ozempic medication exposes weaknesses in America’s use of off-label prescribing, which allows physicians to hand out drugs to treat a different condition from the one for which they were officially approved.

Ozempic, also known as semaglutide, is one of a class of diabetes drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have been around for nearly two decades. It was first approved in the U.S. in 2017 for use in those with Type 2 diabetes. Ozempic mimics a hormone involved in appetite and eating, helping to stimulate insulin production and lower patients’ blood glucose levels – making the user feel full faster. It also leads to them shedding pounds.

As a result, Ozempic has been flaunted on the Internet as a miracle diet drug. On TikTok, the hashtag #Ozempic already has over 360 million views.

Regardless, ever since news of the ‘miracle diet drug’ broke on social media, people who don’t meet the requirements for use have been scrambling to get their hands on it.

This means that those needing Ozempic are having trouble filling their prescriptions and are consequently at higher risk for heart attacks, infections, disability, and even death.

And, while medication can be replaced, it can come with new obstacles, including insurance coverage and closer monitoring in case the user rejects the drug.

Adding yet another hurdle to managing diabetes, the Ozempic drought is most rampant in Australia, where the viral sensation turned scarce resource won’t be available until at least March 2023.

Authorities in the U.K., Australia, and France have issued warnings to influencers promoting these drugs online.

One user on Tik Tok writing, “Bought it, tried it, & it does actually work! As long as you exercise & eat healthier.”

While another user commented, “In Poland, there was no Ozempik in pharmacies because everyone was losing weight on it.”

As of now, there continues to be an Ozempic shortage, and many Type 2 Diabetic patients continue to face hardships. This narrative of weight loss and achieving “the heroine chic” look needs to be evaluated by social media users and the general public.