onathan Gustave was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last August after decades of struggling with his weight. To help lower his blood sugar levels, his doctor prescribed Ozempic, the diabetes drug that has become wildly popular for its weight loss effects. The drug was in such demand that Gustave, a 38-year-old Orlando, Fla.
, resident, had to wait two months for the pharmacy to fill his prescription. A month and a half later, he ran out, and another two months passed before the pharmacy would give him a refill, and only for six months. GLP-1 drugs, a class that includes Ozempic, are transforming the treatment of diabetes and obesity.
Studies have been finding they have benefits for heart health and other conditions, too. But many Black Americans, including patients like Gustave and medical experts, worry that their community is being left behind. They say, too, that the public’s obsession with the drugs serves as a reminder of .
“I do feel like Black people face more barriers because it all depends on what type of health insurance you have,” Gustave said. “I know a lot of people who forgo health insurance to have more money on hand to pay bills. If you don’t have insurance, or good insurance, it’s going to be more challenging to access it.
” Black Americans have long had higher than average rates of chronic disease, for reasons that include disparities in income and education; , housing, healthy food; and the of racism-related stress. According to federal health da.
