With most GLP-1 medications, you will see the word “compounded”, so here is what it actually means.
A compounded medicine is prepared by a licensed pharmacy for one specific patient, based on a prescription written for that patient. It is not made in advance in a factory and sold off a shelf.
What that means for you
It is made for you, after your prescription is written. That is part of why there is a wait between approval and shipping.
It is not FDA-approved. This is the important one. The FDA reviews manufactured medicines for safety, effectiveness, quality, and labeling. Compounded medicines do not go through that review because they are personalized and made at the time it is prescribed. That is true of every compounded medicine everywhere, not just ours.
The pharmacy however, is still regulated. Our pharmacy partners are licensed and inspected under state and federal pharmacy rules. “Not FDA-approved” is not the same as “not regulated.”
Follow your instructions exactly. Compounded medicine usually comes as a vial with a syringe rather than a pre-filled pen, which means you measure your own dose. Measuring mistakes are the most common serious problem reported with these products. If your syringe markings and your instructions do not seem to match, stop and message us before you inject anything.
If you would rather have an FDA-approved branded option, just ask. We can walk you through what is available and what it costs.