Diabetes Australia welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to ban replicas of Ozempic and other weight loss medications following safety concerns.

Pharmacies compounding their own versions of these medications have been ordered to stop production from October 1, 2024.

The new regulations will remove glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), many of which claim to be replicas of Ozempic or Mounjaro, from the pharmacy compounding exemption.

Diabetes Australia understands the significant concerns of Australians living with type 2 diabetes about the ongoing global shortage of Ozempic in particular, and will continue to advocate for prioritised access for people living with diabetes.

However, when it comes to compounded versions, the health and wellbeing of the community must be the most important consideration.

The compounded GLP-1RA products the government has banned have not been evaluated by the TGA for safety, quality and efficacy. When a medicine is compounded, it can have a different strength and different ingredients from similar medicines approved by the TGA.

Diabetes Australia has advocated for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to investigate the shortages of a number of diabetes-related medicines and products in recent years and redouble efforts to ensure Australians can be confident that supply chains are sufficient to meet their needs.

More information about the safety of these products can be found on the TGA website.