Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) welcomes the Federal Government’s ban on compounding replica Ozempic medication but warns consumers who do legitimately need it can’t be left worse off when the ban starts in October.
“CHF has been concerned about safety and quality issues linked to the compounding of Ozempic like products since the issues were first raised in the media in late February. But what we have also been hearing from consumers for a very long time now, is that there is absolutely a supply issue which is impacting those people who legitimately need it,” said CHF CEO Dr Elizabeth Deveny.
CHF remains concerned about how supply will be guaranteed to Australian consumers after October and stresses that consumers should not be left worse off and strongly encourages the Australian Government to do what it can to ensure supply.
“We realise that today’s announcement may worry some people and our advice is for people who are using an Ozempic like product to speak to their GP and pharmacist now to plan options for what happens after October,” said Dr Deveny.
CHF believes that the reliance on compounding Ozempic to fill an ongoing shortfall highlights a broader issue with using compounding pharmacy in this way.
“This situation shows us the need for better medicines policy nationally. The TGA has federal jurisdiction and does a good job of quality assurance for medicines that come into Australia. When it comes to compounding, the states are responsible for regulation and safety. That doesn’t make sense to us. We think there needs to be streamlined national regulation that ensures that all Australians can always count on receiving safe, high-quality medicines,” said Dr Deveny.
