Diabetics frustrated by medication shortages

News 8 On Your Side is investigating a critical drug shortage frustrating diabetics who need the medicine.Investigator Susan Shapiro looked into the shortage and what the drug maker had to say about it.’I need it. It’s annoying.’Bob Dohman and his wife, Cheryl, both have Type 2 diabetes. The Camp Hill couple uses Trulicity to control their blood sugar.Cheryl can still get her 1.5 mg dosage of the GLP-1 medication, but Bob is out of luck for the 3 mg version.”Last month is when I ordered it, and it should have been here. And all of a sudden, they said it’s cancelled. I need it. It’s annoying. I can’t believe it,” Bob Dohman said.”I’m very grateful that there is such a medication, but it frustrates me to no end to know my husband can’t have the opportunity to use it,” Cheryl Dohman said.The Dohmans get their medications from online pharmacy CenterWell, which is based in Ohio.Even brick-and-mortar pharmacies like Camp Hill Pharmacy also cannot get this dosage of Trulicity.”We tried to look around and see if any competitors or anybody have it in stock. Then we tried to get our patients to get medications there,” pharmacist Sumita Markana said.Drug maker statementTrulicity and other diabetes drugs have been in short supply for months. The heavily advertised medications are in high demand because many people are using them for weight loss.Eli Lilly makes Trulicity, Mounjaro and Zepbound. It said its facilities are running 24/7 year-round, and it’s building new plants.Despite these efforts, the company is experiencing limited availability in supply of these medications.In a statement to News 8, Eli Lilly said, “We are working with purpose and urgency to help meet the growth in demand, while always ensuring patient safety is a priority and our quality standards are met.”‘Tough situation to be in'”These medications are game changing. It’s just you got to have them,” said Dr. David Bradley, who is the director of the diabetes program at Penn State Health.He said these drugs require consistency.”The effect of these goes away very quickly, so even missing one dose for patients trying to find it, it’s really tough. It’s a tough situation to be in,” he said.The Dohmans don’t begrudge anyone who wants to lose weight but say diabetics should get priority.”If they’re not allowing him to get it because there’s someone who wants to lose weight to get it, I think that is totally absurd,” Cheryl Dohman said.Bob Dohman will now make the switch to Ozempic. He said he’s been assured it’s similar to Trulicity, and he should be able to tolerate it well.

News 8 On Your Side is investigating a critical drug shortage frustrating diabetics who need the medicine.

Investigator Susan Shapiro looked into the shortage and what the drug maker had to say about it.

‘I need it. It’s annoying.’

Bob Dohman and his wife, Cheryl, both have Type 2 diabetes. The Camp Hill couple uses Trulicity to control their blood sugar.

Cheryl can still get her 1.5 mg dosage of the GLP-1 medication, but Bob is out of luck for the 3 mg version.

“Last month is when I ordered it, and it should have been here. And all of a sudden, they said it’s cancelled. I need it. It’s annoying. I can’t believe it,” Bob Dohman said.

“I’m very grateful that there is such a medication, but it frustrates me to no end to know my husband can’t have the opportunity to use it,” Cheryl Dohman said.

The Dohmans get their medications from online pharmacy CenterWell, which is based in Ohio.

Even brick-and-mortar pharmacies like Camp Hill Pharmacy also cannot get this dosage of Trulicity.

“We tried to look around and see if any competitors or anybody have it in stock. Then we tried to get our patients to get medications there,” pharmacist Sumita Markana said.

Drug maker statement

Trulicity and other diabetes drugs have been in short supply for months.

The heavily advertised medications are in high demand because many people are using them for weight loss.

Eli Lilly makes Trulicity, Mounjaro and Zepbound. It said its facilities are running 24/7 year-round, and it’s building new plants.

Despite these efforts, the company is experiencing limited availability in supply of these medications.

In a statement to News 8, Eli Lilly said, “We are working with purpose and urgency to help meet the growth in demand, while always ensuring patient safety is a priority and our quality standards are met.”

‘Tough situation to be in’

“These medications are game changing. It’s just you got to have them,” said Dr. David Bradley, who is the director of the diabetes program at Penn State Health.

He said these drugs require consistency.

“The effect of these goes away very quickly, so even missing one dose for patients trying to find it, it’s really tough. It’s a tough situation to be in,” he said.

The Dohmans don’t begrudge anyone who wants to lose weight but say diabetics should get priority.

“If they’re not allowing him to get it because there’s someone who wants to lose weight to get it, I think that is totally absurd,” Cheryl Dohman said.

Bob Dohman will now make the switch to Ozempic. He said he’s been assured it’s similar to Trulicity, and he should be able to tolerate it well.

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