If this is where you are…
If an offer says it is the same medicine for less money, ask which finished product it means. The ingredient name is only part of the comparison.
What the names mean
GLP-1 is a signal in the body that helps control appetite and blood sugar. The name “GLP-1 medicines” often refers to medicines that mimic that signal.[a]
U.S.-approved products include tirzepatide sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, and semaglutide sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, as of September 2026.[a]
In September 2026, these products are approved for different uses.[a]
Ask which use matches the health problem being discussed.
The shortage explanation has limits
In September 2026, neither semaglutide nor tirzepatide was on the FDA’s national shortage list.[b]
Neither was on the FDA’s list of raw ingredients allowed for large places making batches of made-to-order medicine, called outsourcing facilities.[b]
Those facilities cannot use either of these lists as permission to make these medicines from raw ingredients.[b]
The FDA is the Food and Drug Administration. Its national shortage list is different from a pharmacy being temporarily out of stock.[b]
Federal law limits pharmacies making regular copies of an approved medicine that can already be bought, as of September 2026.[c]
A change for a named patient may qualify for an exception when whoever writes the medicine order judges that change to make an important difference for the patient.[c]
One example of a patient’s need is removing a dye they cannot tolerate; the person writing the order must decide whether the change meets the legal exception.[c]
Ask what change is needed for your health and why. A lower price alone does not meet this exception.[c]
A different label is not a simple shortcut
As of September 2026, adding a vitamin can still leave a compounded semaglutide product within the FDA’s definition of a copy.[b]
The ingredients called semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate differ from the ingredient used in approved medicines.[d]
In September 2026, the FDA said it knew of no legal way to use either ingredient in made-to-order medicine; it did not say they were permitted.[d]
Retatrutide is another distinct ingredient; according to the FDA, federal law bars making it into compounded medicine, as of September 2026.[d]
Keep each name separate when asking about an offer.