CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Amy Curtis of Cedar Rapids was diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago. Ever since she has taken medication to help.
“I take Trulicity once a week and an oral every day,” Curtis said.
She said the last few months it has been hard to find the much-needed drug. Last year, the FDA approved Trulicity as a weight loss drug. Social media posts containing several diabetic medicines have gone viral showing the effectiveness of the drugs.
“I’ve been all over Cedar Rapids and Iowa City; if I can’t find it, I’ll have to ask my mom to buy it in Chicago and ship it to me,” she said.
“We’ve had an issue since last October,” said Roger Thompson, a Certified Pharmacy Technician at Reutzel Pharmacy.
Thompson said insurance companies took steps to try and fix the issue.
“The prescription must have a specific diagnosis code for diabetes,” he said. “If it’s prescribed for weight loss and it’s a diabetic medication, it won’t go through insurance.”
Thompson said he wasn’t sure when the shortage might come to an end fully. He recommends people speak to their providers and pharmacists about what the next steps should be. In the meantime, Curtis continued to switch to what drugs were available.
“I went to the doctor, and she was able to get me some sample doses, but that means I get to take two shots or jump to different types,” she said. “That means dealing with all the side effects of changing medications.”
Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.
source
