Diabetics falling ill from dodgy black market Ozempic
Carte Blanche did an investigation into the diabetes drug Ozempic which has become the latest weight loss craze.
Photo: Unsplash/Sweet Life (cropped)
Pippa Hudson speaks with Carte Blanche producer, Stenette Grosskopf.
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
Ozempic is a life-changing drug for diabetics, but that is no longer what it is known for.
People quickly discovered that it had incredible weight loss properties, and celebrities began using it a s a quick fix to change their shape.
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As more people began using Ozempic to get thin, diabetics found it increasingly difficult to access their medication.
“In the last two years, especially since Oprah spoke on it, the whole world began to reach for it.”
- Stenette Grosskopf, Carte Blanche producer
This has forced desperate diabetics to access dodgy black-market alternatives.
For Ozempic to work properly, the patient will need an uninterrupted supply for a period of time, which diabetics are struggling with.
Grosskopf says doctors are incredibly concerned because they do not know what are in these counterfeit drugs.
“If you are having an allergic reaction or a side effect, doctors don’t know what you are having a reaction to.”
- Stenette Grosskopf, Carte Blanche producer
She says most of the doctors she has spoken to have had at least one patient who has become very ill from one of these drugs.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.