Alarming rise in weight loss drug GLP-1 overdoses

Added: 2026-05-29

[00:00:00]Actually, this would be Empire.

[00:00:00]>> Across social media, influencers tout telehealth companies offering weight loss medications for lower prices.

[00:00:08]>> There it is.

[00:00:09]>> It sounded like a perfect solution for Carly McClain, a new mom in Nashville trying to lose 50 lb.

[00:00:16]>> I was looking for a compounded semaglutide because I knew that was the most affordable option to move forward.

[00:00:23]I was looking for something that had good reviews and actually worked.

[00:00:28]>> Her insurance didn't cover Ozempic, so she found Mochi Health and a compounded cheaper option.

[00:00:35]>> Ozempic was about $1,500 for me a month and the one that I ended up going through was about 179 a month.

[00:00:42]>> That's a huge saving.

[00:00:43]>> Yes.

[00:00:44]>> What she didn't know was how terribly wrong everything was about to go.

[00:00:49]>> Did you fear you were going to lose your life?

[00:00:51]>> Yeah.

[00:00:52]>> Carly is one of a growing number of Americans who overdosed on GLP-1s. NBC News in collaboration with KFF Health News found that as GLP-1s become easier to get, poison control centers across the country are reporting an alarming increase in overdoses. From 1,366 cases in 2021 to 15,102 in 2025, a more than 1,000% increase. In Carly's case, the problem was on the label.

[00:01:24]>> I received it and the medication said to inject 88 units and it seemed kind of high to me.

[00:01:30]>> So, she says she called Mochi.

[00:01:32]>> What were you told?

[00:01:33]>> I was told that it is the correct dose.

[00:01:35]>> And she took the medication as directed.

[00:01:38]>> And then I get a message from the doctor at Mochi saying that I took way too much.

[00:01:43]>> Almost nine times too much. Rushed to the emergency room, she would spend two nights in the hospital.

[00:01:51]Dr. Geetanjali Srivastava, an obesity specialist at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, says to expect more trouble ahead as people opt for cheaper compounded drugs that act like brand names but are not FDA approved.

[00:02:06]>> We do not have any control over what is actually mixed within the compounded formulation and there's not a standardization or standard process where compounding would be very effective or not.

[00:02:18]>> I'm still upset that it happened to me and I'm still upset that nobody's taking accountability for what they did to me.

[00:02:25]>> Months later Carly says she still has side effects from the overdose. Mochi Health says it's reviewing the case and is in direct and ongoing communication with Carly to reach a resolution.

[00:02:37]>> You okay?

[00:02:37]>> But so far there is none.

[00:02:41]>> All right, Anne joins us now live in studio. So Anne, people at home are going to be watching this wondering how do they make sure this isn't happen to them?

[00:02:47]>> The first thing people need to do Tom is know what their dosage is and then double-check it against the label. If there's any discrepancy, check with your doctor. As more and more people are taking these drugs, the problems are happening more often. A KFF health analysis of FDA data shows there were 2,000 reports of mistakes in 2020. Five years later, there were more than 25,000.

[00:03:13]So it happens more than you think.

[00:03:15]>> 25,000. Okay.

[00:03:16]>> We thank you for watching and remember stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or watch live on our YouTube channel.