THE OTHERS GRABBED THEIR GEAR.
THE DRIVER IS EXPECTED TO BE
OKAY.
POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING.
>>> IT TURNS OUT THOSE POPULAR
WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS AREN’T
GETTING TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED
THEM THE MOST.
THAT ACCORDING TO EXCLUSIVE
DATA OBTAINED BY NBC NEWS.
DRUGS LIKE OZEMPIC AND WEGOVY.
AND THEY ARE NOT COVERED BY
PRIVATE INSURANCE.
OUT-OF-POCKET COST, MORE THAN
$1000 A MONTH.
THERE IS A RACIAL COMPONENT TO
ALL OF THIS, AS WELL.
MORE THAN 4 MILLION
PRESCRIPTIONS WERE WRITTEN FOR
WEGOVY AND OZEMPIC LAST YEAR.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE
PRESCRIPTIONS, 85% WERE WRITTEN
FOR WHITE PEOPLE.
JUST 12% WRITTEN FOR AFRICAN
AMERICANS TO HAVE HIGHER RATES
OF DIABETES AND OBESITY.
HE HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THE DATA.
ALL RIGHT, TWO THINGS I NOTICED
AS WE ARE LOOKING THROUGH THIS
DATA, TWO THINGS AT PLAY.
NUMBER ONE, THE COST.
NUMBER TWO, THE DRUGS ARE BEING
PRESCRIBED TO PEOPLE WHO MAY
NOT NEED THEM, THE ABSOLUTE
MOST.
>> RIGHT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS GOING
ON.
ONE IS INSURANCE.
IT COST ABOUT $1000 FOR ONE
MONTH SUPPLY.
IT IS ALSO A STIGMA ASSOCIATED.
EVEN IN THE INDUSTRY, BEING
PRESENTED AS A COSMETIC CONCER
, VERSUS A CHRONIC DISEASE.
IN SOME STATES, THERE ARE ALSO
A LACK OF DOCTORS WHO ARE
QUALIFIED TO PRESCRIBE THESE
MEDICATIONS.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THERE
IS ALSO CAUSE.
A WHITE FAMILY MIGHT BE ABLE TO
AFFORD TO PAY IF THEIR
INSURANCE DOESN’T COVER IT.
WE ALSO HAVE A DOCTOR IN
NORTHERN OKLAHOMA WHO LAID THAT
OUT FOR US.
>> GOING INTO THE RACIAL
DISPARITY HERE AND WHAT THE
IMPLICATIONS ARE.
>> RIGHT.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE MAP IN
MANY OF THE STATES SUCH AS
OKLAHOMA, LOUISIANA AND WEST
VIRGINIA, THEY HAD REALLY HIGH
ADOTOBESITRATES, BUT ALSO
REALLY LOW PRESCRIPTION RATES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA
NATIONWIDE, THERE IS 85% OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE THESE
PRESCRIPTIONS AND THEY ARE
WHITE PEOPLE.
WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSER, ONLY 12%
OF BLACK PEOPLE HAVE
PRESCRIPTIONS.
>> IT IS INTERESTING.
AS WE MENTIONED, THERE ARE
HIGHER RATES OF DIABETES AND
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WITH
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO
PRESUMABLY WOULD NEED IT THE
MOST FOR AN ACUTE MEDICAL
CONDITION.
NOT JUST TO LOSE RATE FOR
MEDICAL REASONS.
>> WE SPOKE TO ONE PATIENT IN
OKLAHOMA.
SHE ALSO HAS A HISTORY OF HEART
DISEASE.
SHE’S BLACK.
SHE SAYS SHE’S BASICALLY JUST
FRUSTRATED.
>> BECAUSE SHE CAN’T AFFORD IT?
>> BECAUSE SHE CAN AFFORD IT.
SHE SEES PEOPLE ONLINE TALKING
ABOUT THESE WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS.
THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO
SEE IF THEY CAN GET THESE
MEDICATIONS.
A LOT OF TIMES, THERE IS
NOTHING THEY CAN DO.
THE PATIENTS HAVE TRIED
NUTRISYSTEM, WEIGHT WATCHERS,
EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF.
THEY ARE STILL STRUGGLING.