{"id":627738,"date":"2024-04-10T11:04:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T15:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=627738"},"modified":"2025-02-28T18:20:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T23:20:11","slug":"mounjaro-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/mounjaro-shortage\/","title":{"rendered":"Mounjaro shortage: What patients should know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mounjaro (tirzepatide)<\/span><\/a>, an injectable drug prescribed for high blood sugar in people with <\/span>Type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/a>, has recently been in short supply. The<\/span> Food and Drug Administration (FDA)<\/span><\/a> first reported the shortage in December 2022, but availability issues have continued long after that. It wasn\u2019t until October of 2024 that the FDA announced that the shortage had ended.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Like the <\/span>Ozempic shortage<\/span><\/a>, the reason for the Mounjaro shortage is an increase in demand for the drug. This high demand affects supply. When drugs are in short supply, compounding pharmacies are allowed to make compounded versions. Now that the Mounjaro shortage is over, the FDA may take action on compounding pharmacies that fail to cease production of compounded tirzepatide. We\u2019ll go over the latest updates in more detail and explain how to prepare in the case of future drug shortages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction to Mounjaro<\/span><\/h2>\n

Mounjaro<\/span><\/a> (tirzepatide) is a weekly injectable medication manufactured by Eli Lilly Inc. It is classified as a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and <\/span>glucagon-like peptide-1<\/span><\/a> (GLP 1) receptor agonist. Mounjaro works by increasing insulin output, decreasing glucagon production, and reducing appetite in part by delaying stomach emptying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“The main purpose of Mounjaro is to treat <\/span>diabetes,<\/span><\/a>” says <\/span>Ishita Prakash Patel, MD<\/span><\/a>, a board-certified endocrinologist at Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology in Austin, Texas. However, the combination of appetite suppression and delayed stomach emptying also causes weight loss with Mounjaro. Clinical trials and studies have shown a range of <\/span>19.5% to 24.3%<\/span><\/a> body weight reduction, depending on <\/span>Mounjaro dosage<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reasons for a Mounjaro backorder<\/span><\/h2>\n

Drugs get backordered for many reasons, from labor shortages to heavily regulated supply chains. But in the case of Mounjaro, the backorders are simply a result of supply and demand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Mounjaro is not FDA approved for use as a weight loss drug, information about its weight loss effects has ramped up requests for <\/span>off-label prescriptions<\/span><\/a> of Mounjaro for weight loss. High demand for the drug has led to a shortage of Mounjaro, according to Christina Bookwalter, Pharm.D., clinical pharmacist practitioner in Minneapolis, Minnesota.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is that drug shortages don’t last forever. “As more options in this class come on the market, there is less likelihood of shortages,” Dr. Patel says. “In addition, drug companies recognize increased demand and are ramping up production to keep up with the demand.” In the case of Mounjaro, the FDA announced<\/a> on Oct. 2, 2024, that the shortage was over. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consequences of Mounjaro shortage<\/span><\/h2>\n

The immediate effect of a Mounjaro shortage is that patients who need the medication to control blood sugar levels cannot get their prescriptions refilled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“This causes much disarray and disruption in care, as well as the potential for poorer outcomes,” Dr. Patel says. “On the provider end, constant shortages are taxing on our workflow as we have to come up with alternative plans between appointments to address the lack of a necessary drug from a patient’s regimen.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, a Mounjaro shortage stresses both patients and healthcare providers. Patients are impacted most in the short term, as they may miss doses while waiting for a prescription refill or experience new side effects from <\/span>switching to an alternative medication<\/span><\/a>. Long-term impacts on the healthcare sector may include more stress and demand on doctors and pharmacists.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>What happens when you stop taking Moujaro?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Another consequence of GLP-1 shortages is that people turn to compounded versions of the FDA-approved versions. This is perfectly legal during a drug shortage, but there are risks. For example, compounded medications aren\u2019t FDA approved, meaning they\u2019re not tested for safety and quality. They may also be more difficult for people to administer when in injected form, since some versions of compounded tirzepatide need to be dosed out of a vial instead of a premeasured autoinjector.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Is compounded semaglutide safe?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Mounjaro shortage update<\/span><\/h2>\n

When the FDA announced that the Mounjaro shortage was over, it provided a deadline for compounding pharmacies to stop compounding, distributing, and dispensing compounded tirzepatide injections. State-licensed pharmacies were given until Feb. 18, 2025, and outsourcing facilities were given a deadline of March 19. However, the Outsourcing Facilities Association (OFA) has filed a <\/span>lawsuit against the FDA<\/span><\/a>, challenging the FDA\u2019s decision to take tirzepatide off of the drug shortage list. As of now, compounding pharmacies have until the initially established deadlines or until the date of the district court\u2019s decision on <\/span>OFA v. FDA<\/span><\/i>, whichever is longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coping with future Mounjaro shortages<\/span><\/h2>\n

Prescription drug shortages are cause for concern, but patients and healthcare providers still have options. If you are on an injectable medication for blood sugar control and are concerned that you may have trouble refilling your prescription during a Mounjaro shortage, there are a few short-term solutions to consider:<\/span><\/p>\n