Rise in GLP-1 overdoses

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]And the surge in the use of GLP-1 weight loss drugs has created a market for lowerc cost off-brand versions. A King Five investigation has been following associated problems for months at one off-brand packaging version in Kirkland sold by Moki Health.

[00:00:14]>> Now, an NBC News and KFF Health News report is finding these off-brands are also leading to a surge in overdoses.

[00:00:21]And Thompson explains how a lack of supervision on their use is triggering more calls to poison control. This would be entire >> across social media influencers toutella health companies offering weight loss medications for lower prices.

[00:00:35]>> There it is.

[00:00:36]>> It sounded like a perfect solution for Carly Mlan, a new mom in Nashville trying to lose 50 lbs.

[00:00:43]>> I was looking for a compounded semaglutide because I knew that was the most affordable option to move forward.

[00:00:50]I was looking for something that had good reviews um and actually worked. her insurance didn't cover Ozmpic, so she found Mochi Health and a compounded cheaper option.

[00:01:02]>> Ozmpic was about $1,500 for me a month.

[00:01:05]Um, and the one that I ended up going through was about$1 179 a month.

[00:01:09]>> That's a huge savings.

[00:01:11]>> Yes.

[00:01:11]>> What she didn't know was how terribly wrong everything was about to go.

[00:01:16]>> Did you fear you were going to lose your life?

[00:01:18]>> Yeah.

[00:01:19]>> Carly is one of a growing number of Americans who overdosed on GLP1. NBC News in collaboration with KFFF Health News found that as GLP1s become easier to get, poison control centers across the country are reporting an alarming increase in overdoses from 1366 cases in 2021 to 15,12 in 2025, a more than 1,000% increase. In Carly's case, the problem was on the label. I received it and the medication said to inject 88 units and it seemed kind of high to me.

[00:01:57]>> So she says she called Mochi.

[00:01:59]>> What were you told?

[00:02:00]>> I was told that it is the correct dose.

[00:02:02]>> And she took the medication as directed.

[00:02:05]>> And then I get a message from the doctor at Mochi saying that I took way too much.

[00:02:10]>> Almost nine times too much. Rushed to the emergency room, she would spend two nights in the hospital.

[00:02:18]Dr. Gitanjali Shivastov, 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.

[00:02:33]>> 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. 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.

[00:02:52]>> 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.

[00:03:04]>> You okay?

[00:03:05]>> But so far there is none.

[00:03:08]>> That was Annne Thompson reporting. As we mentioned, the King Five investigators exposed the behindthe-scenes problems with Mochi Health's GLP1 drug. The four-month investigation found unlicensed workers and contaminated vials at the Kirkland pharmacy that packaged the medications. To get a link to the King Five investigation, skelling Selling Skinny, you can text the word skinny to the number on your screen, 206484545.

[00:03:34]Five.