Elisabet Frinell was diagnosed with diabetes just over four years ago. A year after her diagnosis, she began using Ozempic, a drug that is considered the most effective on the market for people with type 2 diabetes.
"It's been fantastic results for me. One of the side effects of the drug is weight loss, which makes you feel better and your blood sugar becomes more stable," says Elisabet Frinell.
Uncertainty and anxiety
It is precisely the weight loss, which is as large as 15 percent per year, that has led to the drug being prescribed by doctors to people with excess weight. The medication has been trending among social media celebrities promoting the medication for dieting. Something that has led to a great shortage and that it is difficult for diabetics to find it.
"It creates problems for our patients. They may need to be forced to change varieties, which can be a problem once you have got your medicine to work. It is not dangerous to be without the drug for a few days, but it is clear that it creates uncertainty and many people become worried, says Björn Lundahl, information doctor in Region Sörmland.
Great load on doctors
Elisabet Frinell has so far not been without a drug dose, but she constantly has to chase after it. The last time she picked up Ozempic, the pharmacy had rationed the drug and she only received one dose unlike the usual three doses.
She also notices in her profession as a nurse at a health center that the lack of Ozempic affects many.
"We get a lot of conversations about this from worried people who are wondering what to do when they're not getting their medication out. This, in turn, will be a very high burden on the health center because it is a doctor who will decide on new medications and write out prescriptions, she says.
Hear Elisabet Frinell tell us how to go about finding the medicine without leaving home in the clip above.