New Online Tracker May Help Patients Find GLP-1RA Medication More Easily

A new interactive tool may help patients find glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) during the ongoing shortage of the incretin mimetics.

With the significant demand for the newer antiobesity medications showing no sign of slowing, patients with prescriptions may be finding it difficult to find and access the drugs. The GLP-1 Supply Tracker built by telehealth company Ro and launched this week details GLP-1 availability by drug, dose, and location, as well as allows users to share their own experience with a shortage or finding supply in their area. The Supply Tracker also provides an option for individuals to submit their own shortage report directly to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the company’s press release.

“The GLP-1 shortage challenges are exacerbated by a lack of accurate, up-to-date, and accessible GLP-1 supply information. Patients deserve better,” Zachariah Reitano, cofounder and chief executive officer of Ro, said in the release. “We originally began building this tracker for Ro patients but knew that our scaled supply data and tech expertise positioned us to help all patients (whether Ro patient or not) navigate the shortage and have a greater chance of finding the GLP-1 medications they need.”

The GLP-1 Supply Tracker is free for anyone to use, including clinicians, and relies on Ro’s own supply data and user-generated reports and information from the FDA’s Drug Shortage List to provide a real-time look at GLP-1RA availability.

How it works. To report availability or a shortage, users simply enter the drug, dose, and pharmacy location where they found a GLP-1RA medication in stock or out-of-stock.

Individuals can sign-up to receive automated email alerts that notify them when a drug is in supply in their area or if a drug’s status changes on the FDA’s Drug Shortage List. These alerts inform users which pharmacy has supply, including which GLP-1RA medication is in stock and the dosage, and the pharmacy’s name, address, and phone number. If one pharmacy does not have supply, the email alerts include instructions for how patients can request a pharmacy transfer to one with stock. The GLP-1 Supply Tracker also features an option that allows users to message their own health care team to request that Ro transfer their prescriptions on their behalf, according to the press release.

The platform can help support health care professionals as well, according to Ro. “Drug shortages threaten treatment adherence and continuity of care – not to mention create undue stress for patients. Providers can use the GLP-1 Supply Tracker to stay informed about supply so that they can best counsel their patients on the most clinically appropriate and reliably available GLP-1 treatment,” Melynda Barnes, MD, chief medical officer at Ro, said in the statement.

According to Ro, the company also offers compounded GLP-1s “to help maintain patients’ access to treatment and continuity of care” while the shortage of branded products continues.

Reference: Ro launches the GLP-1 Supply Tracker. News item. Ro. May 29, 2024. Accessed May 31, 2024. https://ro.co/press/glp1-supply-tracker/