Ozempic: A Potential Aid for Mental Health and a Commodity for the Wealthy Amid Shortage

As research explores Ozempic's potential benefits for mental health patients, the drug's shortage sees well-off individuals buying it online for weight loss, leaving diabetics struggling for supply.

Weight loss drug Ozempic, originally developed for diabetics, is being studied for potential benefits in treating mental health disorders, with some psychiatrists already prescribing it to patients on antipsychotics and antidepressants to lessen weight-gain side effects.
Experts suggest there is a link between obesity and certain psychological conditions which the drug may help alleviate, but caution that it's too soon to definitively determine the effects of Ozempic on mental health.
Despite a shortage of Ozempic's active ingredient, semaglutide, in countries including the UK and US, well-off individuals are reportedly able to purchase the drug online for weight loss, while diabetics who depend on public health services struggle to get prescriptions filled.
Ozempic's manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, is running factories 24/7 but neither it nor the government expect the shortage to ease before mid-2024.
Despite the shortage, some online pharmacies in the UK continue to offer Ozempic for weight loss, exploiting a regulatory loophole that doesn't ban clinicians from prescribing a drug they believe will help their patient.