Which kind of product is on the table?
Get a full product name before comparing offers. These categories do not carry the same evidence or rules.
Put the product in the right category
The U.S. body responsible for medicine reviews is the Food and Drug Administration, known as FDA. Compounded means made to order for a medical need.
| Check | What to ask or confirm |
|---|---|
| Approved medicine | Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) has FDA-approved products. |
| Made to order | A pharmacy’s licence does not give its compounded products FDA approval; those products are unapproved. |
| Research label | FDA warns people to avoid weight-loss products sold for human use under research labels; the quality of these products is unknown, and harm is possible. |
A familiar name does not make products equal
A copy of a brand medicine that has been approved is called a generic. It is a different category from compounding.
Describing a made-to-order medicine as identical to an approved medicine is misleading, according to FDA.
It is also misleading to call it a generic version of the approved medicine.
No generic version of semaglutide or tirzepatide had approval to enter the U.S. market as of September 26, 2026.
Mounjaro and Zepbound are two brand names for medicines containing tirzepatide.
Ask the person writing the prescription which brand and product they mean. Bring that full name to the visit.
Bring the wording you are trying to understand
Save the product description. Include its name, how it is taken, and the claims being made. Ask the person treating you to explain each part in everyday words.
Does this product have approval, or is it prepared to order?
What is the reason to consider this specific product?
What other options fit the problem I came with?
Sources behind these answers
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What to cover in the appointment