Australia’s health products regulator, told the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The food the scams trick customers into entering personal or payment information online to purchase products that don’t exist.
It said this month it is investigating a number of websites claiming to sell semaglutide, trading as Ozempic, but added that some customers are not receiving the product or are instead believing it to be an alternative drug.
This channel was shared on UNSW Health and Medicine’s Facebook page to try and sell ozempic to users online. Source: Delivered
Advertising for Ozempic is banned in Australia and the TGA says people should only get the drug from pharmacies with a valid doctor’s prescription.
“These products are currently being tested in the TGA labs,” said a TGA spokesperson.
This online user shows her before and after shots as she encourages the use of Ozempic for weight loss. Source: Delivered
Ask good advice
“If you’re ordering or trying to access supplies from other sources, you don’t know what you’re getting to begin with,” he said.
The diabetes drug Ozempic has gained popularity for its weight loss properties. Source: Getty / Joel Saget
Associate professor Adrikipoulos said the cost is also high, as the usual price of a subsidized prescription is $30, compared to hundreds of dollars charged online.
Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos represents Diabetes Australia and warns consumers to buy medicines the right way Source: Delivered
“I would encourage people to see their endocrinologist, their diabetes educator to make sure the medication is right for them and then go to their pharmacy to access it,” he said.
“However, we have ignored these messages as per the advice of the TGA. Such claims are illegal and fraudulent, and should be properly reported to them,” said Dr Lau.
Ozempic has been touted on Facebook groups as a weight loss treatment. Source: Delivered
Ozempic deficiency hits diabetes community
Yvonne Appleby has type 2 diabetes and said the deficiency was ‘pretty horrific’.
“It just shows how desperately people with type 2 diabetes need this drug if that’s the length they’ll go through to access it,” she said.
Yvonne Appleby takes Ozempic to treat her type 2 diabetes. Source: Delivered
To ensure that people with diabetes are given priority, the TGA encourages doctors not to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss until more supplies of the drug become available.
Social media is a beast
UNSW Business School Professor Nitika Garg studies consumer behavior. She said people struggling with weight loss are a vulnerable group targeted online.
Consumer behavior expert Professor Nitika Garg examines how customers behave. Source: Delivered
“If you feel like there’s a magic pill that can help solve that problem and you see all these attractive influencers talking about it and celebrities presumably on it, it becomes easy to ignore the actual advice,” said Professor Garg .
“The scams are scams where people don’t get the drug at all, but other consumers who actually use the drug, how do they get their hands on it,” she asked.
The TGA says limited supply of Ozempic has resumed and is expected to return to normal in the coming weeks.