| Recently, a friend in Mexico looking to jump start his New Year's resolution of losing some extra pounds ordered a 0.25mg Ozempic pen on Rappi (Latin America's DoorDash) and had it delivered to his doorstep the same day for around $230. He didn't need a prescription, a doctor's visit or any kind of insurance paperwork. It was just like ordering takeout. For guidance on what sort of dosage to give himself, he had consulted friends who were also Ozempic users. Their advice: a single dose per week would do the trick. "My plan is to do weekly shots for three to four months," he told me. I called a handful of Mexican pharmacies carrying Ozempic asking for prices. Costs vary, but the average price tag for a pack of two 0.25mg pens was around 3,870 pesos ($226) while a single 1mg pen will set you back about 5,100 pesos ($300). To put those prices in context, GLP-1 drugs can cost as much as $1,350 a month in the US. They also require a prescription, which some doctors have been hesitant to give out. Ozempic and drugs in its class are not a short-term fix, but instead intended to be taken for life. In the US, it is also only approved to treat diabetes, while its sister drug Wegovy is approved for obesity. (Wegovy isn't sold in Mexico.) "Every country has a unique health-care system and approaches pricing of medicines in different ways," Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk said in response to questions. "Outside the US, countries have different regulatory requirements with regard to the pricing of medicines, including negotiating with respective government entities."
The problem in Mexico, as in other places where the meds have become all the rage, is supply. Farmacias San Pablo, a large chain of pharmacies, told me they've been out of Ozempic for about two months when I called their home delivery line. Farmacias Benavides (where my friend got his shot) said they were running low on stock but did have some available. Shortages have become a real problem for patients with diabetes or insulin resistance who need the semaglutide-based GLP-1 drugs to treat their conditions. Diabetes is the second-biggest cause of death in Mexico. Jesica Naanous, an internal medicine physician at ABC Santa Fe Medical Center, told me she has switched plenty of patients to other medications that might not be as effective but can still work for them because they can't seem to get GLP-1s on a regular basis. Tired of the shortages, some people looking to lose weight on Ozempic are heading to Facebook groups to ask for tips on where to find pens and how to spread out the doses. Naanous is in one of these groups. She told me she doesn't shy away from responding to these posts by telling people to think through their decision to use Ozempic without a doctor's guidance. "That's where I lose them, they just stop responding," she says. The different prices for the same drug in the US and Mexico are also leading some Americans to cross the border to buy pens. On social media, people asking for tips on where to buy Ozempic in Mexico will find a phone number for a place called "Tourist Pharmacy" located in Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, right on the border with Texas. The person who answered the phone said he prices Ozempic in US dollars — $300 for the 0.25mg, $420 for the 1mg. "Whatever you need," he said. "If you're in the area, I'll get it to you today." — Andrea Navarro | 
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