From Ars Technica · · 1m 30s
Millions skip doses of GLP-1 drugs due to cost
A CDC study finds nearly half of Americans using GLP-1 medications take them differently than prescribed, often using unapproved compounded versions.
In brief
A CDC study finds nearly half of Americans using GLP-1 medications take them differently than prescribed, often using unapproved compounded versions. Nearly half of nine point eight percent of US adults using GLP-1 drugs modify their use due to cost, with compounded unapproved versions carrying higher risks…
One in ten Americans use GLP-1 drugs
A CDC study of over eight thousand US adults found that nine point eight percent used glucagon-like peptide-one receptor agonist medications in two thousand twenty-five, roughly twenty-seven million people.
Nearly half modify how they take them
Among GLP-one users, forty-four percent reported using their medication differently from how it was prescribed, skipping doses, delaying refills, or taking smaller amounts than directed.
Cost drives most medication changes
More than half of people modifying their GLP-one use cited cost or availability as reasons.
Compounded versions carry higher risks
At least twenty-three percent of GLP-one users took compounded versions made by pharmacies to mimic FDA-approved drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic. These unapproved drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality.
Compounded users skip doses more often
Sixty-two percent of people using unapproved compounded GLP-one drugs were not taking them as prescribed, compared with just thirty-six percent of those using brand-name versions.
Misleading marketing obscures the risks
A two thousand twenty-five study found that nearly forty percent of websites selling compounded GLP-one drugs stated or implied they were FDA-approved, and nearly eighty percent used brand names in advertising, violating FDA standards.
What matters most
Nearly half of nine point eight percent of US adults using GLP-1 drugs modify their use due to cost, with compounded unapproved versions carrying higher risks.
