Stock image of injectable medication.Photo:Getty
Getty
Poison centers across the country say they have seen an increase in calls involving accidental poisonings related to the injectable medicationsemaglutide, used for type 2 diabetes and weight loss.
America’s Poison Centers— which operates the national Poison Help Line — told PEOPLE that its 55 poison centers fielded 2,941 calls from January through November, marking a 1,500% increase since 2019. In 94% of the calls, semaglutide was the only substance reported, perCNN.
Some affected people were hospitalized with symptoms including vomiting, severe nausea and abdominal pain, however most cases were resolved with treatment such as intravenous fluids and anti-nausea medications.
Ina June 2023 reportpublished in theJournal of the American Pharmacy Association, Dr. Joseph Lambson, director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center, studied three people who called the Utah Poison Control hotline and reported experiencing adverse symptoms after taking a semaglutide medication. Two of the people accidentally took 10 times the standard dose of the drug.
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Despite their safety features, the pre-filled pens are not completely foolproof, however. Julie Weber, director of the Missouri Poison Center, told CNN that many of the calls involving semaglutide that her center has received this year have been related to misuse of the click pens.
One caller reported accidentally dialing the pen all the way up, injecting themselves with an entire month’s dose in one shot. “They misunderstood the pen. They did not know how to use it properly and dialed it up too and took like the whole pen instead of just the dose that was supposed to happen,” Weber told CNN.
In a statement to CNN, Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, said the company prioritizes consumer safety. “We are taking multiple steps to ensure responsible use of our semaglutide medicines which are detailed on semaglutide.com,” the statement said.
Lambson advised in his report that patient education is critical to preventing misuse and overdosing of the medications.
“To address such issues, we encourage increased vigilance in labeling, dispensing, and counseling practices to ensure patients are confident in administering their medication regardless of the formulation,” he wrote. “We additionally encourage boards of pharmacy and other regulatory agencies to promote proper use and dispensing of compounded semaglutide.”
For poisoning related-related questions, or if you need emergency assistance, please contact Poison Help at 1-800-222-122, or visitPoisonHelp.org.
source: people.com
