Experts believe the high cost of weight loss drugs may drive patients to find unsafe alternatives

In our healthcast today, the high cost and limited insurance coverage for a popular weight loss drug, it's driving some to seek potentially unsafe alternatives now. Dr. Michelle Perlman is a gastroenterologist and obesity specialist and she says many people are turning to compounding pharmacies which can customize medications that are not commercially available and often at a much lower cost than your prescription drugs. Well that sounds like a reasonable option but what are some reasons why it may not be ideal? One is it although they have to follow certain regulatory agencies and guidelines, you don't have the same scrutiny that medications that are gone that have been tested and approved by the FDA have. So you don't quite know what you're getting. Perlman goes on to say the testing has shown that the dosage on some of these compounded products can be quite variable which can lead to unpredictable outcomes and potentially harmful side effects as well. And the maker of one of those prescription weight loss drugs says it's now limiting starter doses as demand is outpacing supply. Novo Nordisk, maker of Wigovi, expects many people will have a very hard time filling their prescriptions at the lower initial doses through September. The supply interruptions aren't expected to affect higher doses of Wigovi for people who are already taking it. The FDA approved Wigovi for weight loss in 2021 for people though who have a high body mass index. And another new study out there suggesting the vaccine protection against COVID-19 may wear off after six months. Researchers found that protection against the COVID variant Omicron decreased to about 14 percent at six months. Researchers say the findings show why it's important for people to get those booster shots for their added protection.