The blockbuster weight loss drug sold as Ozempic and Wegovy [has, on 21 March, gone] generic in countries that are home to 40 percent of the world’s population, significantly lowering the price of a costly medicine that had been largely unaffordable to nearly all but the wealthiest people. On Saturday, Novo Nordisk, the company that until now has had a monopoly on selling the drug, will lose patent protection in several of the world’s most populous countries. The first generic versions are expected to arrive in India as soon as this weekend. In the coming months, the generics are also expected to become available in China, Canada, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.
Yes, my understanding is that it’s legal in the US to purchase prescription-only drugs from overseas as long as they’re only for personal use. It’s kind of a grey area but as long as they’re not scheduled substances, I and multiple people I know have saved a lot of money by buying prescription drugs from Europe and shipping them here (we have such a wonderfully broken system here, don’t we?)
If you go to border towns in Mexico like Tijuana they have pharmacies on every corner like Starbucks where you can buy medications.
Genuinely: are we still crossing borders? I’ve stopped even considering it given… everything.
I wouldn’t if I wasn’t a US citizen. Apparently even domestic flights can put you at risk now too.