As the demand for such drugs escalates, there is a disparity between the use of the anti-obesity and diabetes medication among Black people and other groups
Research supports that Black people are having trouble accessing anti-obesity and diabetes medication. Meanwhile, white people are four times more likely to receive a prescription.
“Unfortunately, access to care is a huge barrier within our Black and Brown communities,” said Northwestern Medicine Internal Medicine Physician Kimbra A. Bell, MD. “Additionally, the inability to afford quality medical care and prescription medications can be a hindrance as well. So, conditions such as diabetes are not managed as well as they could be and subsequently result in poorer outcomes.”
Experts call for a promising future with better accessibility for Black patients who are in dire need of these medications. They suggest Black patients see Black doctors because statistics show better overall treatment results. Additionally, other solutions include patient advocacy, spreading awareness among the Black community, and discounted programs.
Furthermore, Black tech health startups across the U.S. have dedicated to changing how people exercise, how they eat and how they communicate with doctors. With one click at a time, underrepresented founders have created platforms like Health in Her Hue, which connects Black women to culturally sensitive healthcare provider and MedHaul, which focuses on securing low-cost transportation back and forth to medial appointments.
In a statement, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk said that they distribute their “existing supply across markets in a responsible manner consistent with our focus on continuity of care and access to innovative medicines,” CNN reported.
“In the U.S., we cannot control which specific pharmacies or patients receive Ozempic as we distribute our products to wholesalers who in turn supply retail pharmacies nationwide.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
