While brand-name weight loss drugs are in short supply, a market for alternatives thrives [Video]

Prescription weight loss drugs have become so popular in the United States that suppliers have struggled to keep up. Jean Readdy, a retired teacher living in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, is among the one in eight Americans who have tried a GLP-1 drug for weight loss or diabetes, more commonly known by brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Readdy, who has struggled with her weight for most of her life, told CBS News her weight affected her self-esteem and how she moved through the world.

“I didn’t like going out places,” Readdy admitted.

She reached her highest weight last October, right as her son was about to be married.

“I was embarrassed for him and I was embarrassed for myself,” said Readdy. 

Now, she’s one of a growing number of people turning to compounded drugs: reformulated versions the FDA has permitted pharmacies to distribute during an ongoing shortage of brand-name drugs.