Costs of weight loss drugs: Many sources examine the costs not only with doctors

Many people bypass their doctor's office and turn to potentially unreliable sources that promise them Wegovy, Zepbound and other weight-loss drugs. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

Because of these hurdles, many people bypass their doctor's office and turn to dubious sources that promise to supply them with the medication, a new survey shows.

About one in four people surveyed would consider taking an injectable weight loss medication without consulting their doctor, report researchers at Ohio State University.

Their reasons for avoiding going to the doctor include:

Lower costs (18%)

Not covered by insurance (15%)

They could not get a prescription from their doctor (9%)

Lack of availability via a pharmacy (6%)

However, unlicensed online pharmacies or shady telemedicine websites are risky sources for these drugs, experts say.

“For those who want to lose weight, it's really important to discuss options with their doctor first,” said Dr. Shengyi Mao, an internist at Ohio State.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and every medication can have risks and side effects,” Mao added in a university press release. “A trusted physician can review a patient's medical history and current medications to assess their respective risks and benefits.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued two warnings this year about semaglutide compounding products that resulted in dosing errors that caused severe nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia and hospitalization.

Drug manufacturing is the process of combining, mixing, or altering drugs to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient. The problem is that manufacturing a drug can make it difficult to accurately calculate the correct dose a person should take.

Some manufacturers also use semaglutide salt in their mixtures, a different active ingredient than that used in Wegovy and Ozempic.

According to the researchers, the FDA is also investigating reports of the sale of counterfeit Ozempic in the United States.

“Obesity is a serious and complex chronic disease and should not be treated with a one-size-fits-all approach,” Mao said. “That's why a comprehensive weight management program is often the best choice, because losing weight and keeping it off requires lifestyle changes and a lifelong commitment.”

“These weight loss drugs may be effective in some people, but they can have serious side effects and weight gain may return after the drugs are stopped,” Mao concluded.

The survey was conducted by 1,006 people via the Internet and telephone from August 16 to 18.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has additional information on the compound semaglutide.

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