What counts as a shortage
US law defines a drug shortage as a period when the demand or projected demand for a medicine in the United States exceeds its supply. The FDA looks at the national picture, using information that comes mostly from manufacturers about what they can supply [2].
That national view is the key point. One pharmacy running out does not by itself put a medicine on the list, and a listed shortage does not mean every pharmacy is empty. The reverse also holds: the FDA notes that patients may still meet intermittent, local gaps after it declares a shortage resolved, while products move from manufacturers through distributors to pharmacies [7].
Why shortages happen
According to the FDA, manufacturing and quality problems are the most common cause. Others include production delays, late deliveries of raw materials and components, sudden jumps in demand and a company deciding to stop making a product [2].
The FDA adds that it cannot require a company to keep making a medicine it wants to discontinue, or to increase production. Its example is older sterile injectables, where few companies and production lines exist and manufacturing is complex and slow to scale up [2].
Manufacturers of many prescription medicines must tell the FDA about a permanent discontinuance or an interruption likely to disrupt supply, in general at least six months ahead, or as soon as they can if that is not possible [2]. The agency says these earlier warnings help: in its report to Congress for 2025, it counted 330 shortages prevented and four new shortages identified, against a peak of 251 new shortages in 2011 [10].
A local gap is not always a shortage
The FDA says that when a medicine is out of stock, it is usually a temporary, local issue and more product is on the way; occasionally, though, local problems are an early signal of a national shortage [1]. When it receives such reports, it checks with manufacturers whether national supply is adequate [1].
Its suggestion for patients is practical: if a medicine is hard to get, talk with your pharmacist or prescriber about options. Whether an alternative suits a particular patient is a clinical decision; the FDA notes that it does not regulate the practice of medicine [2].
GLP-1 listings on 20 October 2026
The table records what the FDA database and the FDA’s GLP-1 update page showed when this article was checked. It is a dated snapshot, not live data. Because the database is searched by active ingredient, each row names the ingredient as well as the brand.
| Medicine (ingredient) | What the FDA list showed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ozempic® and Wegovy® injections (semaglutide) | Not among current shortages; the shortage was declared resolved on 21 February 2025 | Database [3]; FDA update page [7] |
| Mounjaro® and Zepbound® (tirzepatide) | Not among current shortages; the shortage was declared resolved on 19 December 2024 | Database [3]; FDA update page [7] |
| Victoza® (liraglutide) | Liraglutide injection currently in shortage since 18 July 2023; Victoza® presentations at limited availability, reason given as delay in shipping, duration to be determined | Liraglutide listing [4] |
| Saxenda® (liraglutide) | Limited availability; Novo Nordisk posted on 25 August 2026 that it will be available until discontinuation in January 2027 | Liraglutide listings [4][5] |
| Other liraglutide 6 mg/mL products | Presentations from several other companies listed as available; one Teva presentation listed as discontinued on 14 May 2026 | Liraglutide listings [4][5] |
| Rybelsus® tablets (semaglutide) | Listed as a discontinuation, not a shortage: Novo Nordisk posted on 4 June 2026 that the 3, 7 and 14 mg tablets will be replaced by Ozempic® tablets | Semaglutide tablet listing [6] |
| Trulicity® (dulaglutide) | Not in the database on 20 October 2026; the FDA’s GLP-1 page last described it, in February 2025, as in shortage with all presentations available | Database [3]; FDA update page [7] |
How to check the FDA database
- Open the Drug Shortages page on fda.gov and choose to search the Drug Shortage Database [1].
- Search by the generic name or active ingredient, not only the brand: semaglutide rather than Ozempic®, tirzepatide rather than Mounjaro®, liraglutide rather than Victoza® [1].
- Open the listing and read the status, each company’s presentations with their NDC numbers, the reason and the estimated duration [2][4].
- Check the separate Discontinuations tab too: a product being withdrawn from the market appears there rather than under shortages [3][6].
- Note the date you checked. The list is updated daily, resolved shortages stay visible for 6 months and discontinuations for 1 year [2].
What the status words mean
Listings can give one of seven reasons set out in federal law: requirements related to good manufacturing practice, regulatory delay, a shortage of an active ingredient, a shortage of an inactive ingredient, discontinuation, a shipping delay or increased demand [2].
- Currently in Shortage: national demand or projected demand exceeds supply [2].
- Resolved: the FDA has determined that supply is no longer exceeded by demand. The database explains that the market counts as covered when at least one manufacturer can supply total demand, even if some presentations are missing [2][3].
- Discontinuation: a manufacturer has notified the FDA that it is permanently stopping production. These entries are for information only [2].
- Available, Limited Availability: the latest information from a manufacturer for one specific presentation. The FDA stresses that “available” is not a finding that a shortage is over, and that this detail can change daily [2].
- Therapeutic category: a description of how a drug is commonly used, not a statement of its approved uses [2].
Discontinuations and replacement products
A discontinuation is not the same as a shortage, but it can lead to the same question at the pharmacy. The Rybelsus® entry is an example. The joint US label for Rybelsus® and Ozempic® tablets, revised 1/2026, lists Rybelsus® tablets at 3, 7 and 14 mg and Ozempic® tablets at 1.5, 4 and 9 mg, and states that the two are not substitutable on a milligram-for-milligram basis [9]. Section 2.3 of that label describes how a prescriber moves a patient from one to the other [9].
For Saxenda®, the database gives a planned end date rather than a replacement [5]. In either case, which product and strength comes next is your prescriber’s decision.
If it is not on the list
The FDA has a public portal where patients, health professionals and organisations can report a possible new shortage. It asks you to check the database first: if the medicine is already listed, talk with your provider or pharmacist about options; if it is not listed, send a report [1].
When the FDA receives reports of new local shortages, it contacts manufacturers to confirm whether supply will meet national demand. Early warning, the agency says, can sometimes let it act before a shortage starts or shorten one. Information about an existing shortage can be sent to drugshortages@fda.hhs.gov [1].
Why the status matters beyond the pharmacy
Shortage status has legal effects on compounding. When an approved drug is on the list, some federal limits on compounded copies stop applying to 503A pharmacies, and 503B outsourcing facilities may make it from bulk ingredients; when it leaves the list, those routes close again [8]. The FDA still recommends an approved drug whenever one is available and appropriate, because compounded drugs are not reviewed before marketing [8]. Our articles on compounded GLP-1s and on 503A and 503B compounding explain the details.
During some shortages the FDA also reviews data supporting longer expiry dates for existing stock and publishes a list of extended use dates [1][2].
Shortages can also attract unknown sellers. The FDA notes that pharmacies sometimes receive offers from unfamiliar distributors at higher prices during shortages and that such offers should be reported to its Office of Criminal Investigations. For concerns about the price of a medicine, the FDA points to the Federal Trade Commission [2].
Planning ahead
Running out is easier to handle with notice. Knowing how many doses remain lets you contact your pharmacy or prescriber early, before the week a dose is due. Any change of product, strength or schedule is your prescriber’s decision.
Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Rybelsus®, Victoza® and Saxenda® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Mounjaro®, Zepbound® and Trulicity® are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. PepLabo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly and Company.