(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned to use extreme caution when taking weight loss drugs they bought online, because they either can’t afford or can’t find FDA-approved medications like Ozempic. Marisa Pruitt, a registered dietician with the Gundersen Health System, says there’s a lot of buzz about these so-called miracle weight loss drugs, and taking them without a doctor’s close guidance may be very risky.

“There are definitely shortages,” Pruitt says. “The demand for these drugs has outpaced the quantity and supply, so it’s very difficult to get Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss, they’re the same medicine but it’s very difficult to get that medicine right now.”

Marisa Pruitt, registered dietician (Gundersen photo)

When there are shortages, Pruitt says what’s known as “compounded” drugs will frequently appear on the market, and it’s often unclear exactly what’s in them. She says cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better buy.

“The brand of this drug is probably around $1,000 a month, so that can be very limiting for many people,” Pruitt says, “versus the compounded medicines are being sold for a fraction of that, so very appealing in that sense.”

Some of the medications that are being purchased online may actually work, but Pruitt says any money you might be saving is at the sacrifice of important supervision, which could put your health in jeopardy.

“Weight loss just for weight loss sake isn’t necessarily healthy either,” she says. “In our clinic, when we prescribe these medicines for patients, they’re seeing a dietician. They’re working with a wellness coach. They’re working with a doctor who’s closely overseeing the prescription and the weight loss. We want to ensure that patients are losing weight the right way safely — from fat mass, not muscle mass. We want to make sure that their nutrition isn’t sacrificed.”

Patients should undergo a thorough medical evaluation, she says, before any weight loss drugs are prescribed.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.