Different offers use the same ingredient name. An approved medicine is offered on one page; a custom-made product on another.
Sort the product before the price
A finished, approved medicine
FDA is the federal medicine agency, short for Food and Drug Administration.
Semaglutide is the ingredient used in two FDA-approved medicines, Ozempic and Wegovy, as of September 2026.
Ozempic helps adults with type 2 diabetes control blood sugar; Wegovy helps people lose weight and keep it off.
Tirzepatide is the ingredient in two other FDA-approved medicines: Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight management.
Approval means FDA reviewed the evidence and agreed to a specific product for a named use.
Ask which product and which use its approval covers.
Approval belongs to a specific product, rather than everything sharing its ingredient name.
A medicine made to order
A pharmacist or doctor prepares a compounded medicine; it does not come as a finished product from a factory.
As of September 2026, a made-to-order medicine may be appropriate when an approved medicine cannot meet your medical need or is unavailable.
FDA has not approved the medicine made to order.
Ask which medical need or FDA-listed shortage allows this product under the rules on copies. The made-to-order medicine page explains those checks.
FDA does not review these products for quality, harm or benefit before they reach patients.
A research-labelled substance
A research label describes study use, rather than permission to treat people, as of September 2026.
FDA sent warning letters to sellers who labelled products for research but advertised them to treat people.
The letters said these were unapproved drugs being sold in breach of federal law.
A warning letter states FDA’s concerns about a named seller; it is not a court decision.
The prescription does not answer everything
A prescription gives a medicine order from a doctor or another medical professional licensed to write it.
Ask who writes your prescription and what medicine they are ordering. Get the exact medicine name, then check that person’s licence and the pharmacy.
- Where is the approval record for this exact product?
- If it is made to order, what is the medical reason?
- Which pharmacy will prepare and send it?
Source note: FDA explains both the role and the limits of compounding.
FDA: compounding explained ↗FDA: weight-medicine concerns ↗