Get the exact medicine name.
Get both the product name and ingredient, plus its form: pill or shot. Ask which health problem the proposed medicine would treat.
Check the product and its purpose.
Picture a peptide as a short string of beads, each a tiny part also used to build proteins.
A medicine's approval status cannot be learned just from calling it a peptide, as of September 2026.a
US products with FDA approval include semaglutide under the Ozempic and Wegovy names, as of September 2026.
Tirzepatide also appears in US products with FDA approval under the Mounjaro and Zepbound names, as of September 2026.b
As of September 2026, semaglutide (Wegovy) tablets and shots are approved for weight reduction and keeping weight off.
As of September 2026, semaglutide (Ozempic) tablets and shots are approved to control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic tablets and shots also have approved uses to reduce heart risks; the shot has a kidney-risk use too, as of September 2026.b
Those heart and kidney uses are for people with type 2 diabetes who meet the product label's health requirements.
Ask which product and use are being proposed for you. Ask the clinician to explain the label in plain words.
Separate a generic from a made-to-order medicine.
A compounded medicine is one prepared to order.
Compounded preparations have no FDA approval as of September 2026; their safety, quality and effect receive no FDA review before supply.a
Neither semaglutide nor tirzepatide has an approved generic that may be marketed in the US, as of September 2026.c
Liraglutide is a different medicine, not a generic version of semaglutide or tirzepatide.
As of September 2026, liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda) has approved generic versions, including versions for weight management.c
Ask which of these descriptions fits the proposed product. Do not leave the answer at cheaper version.
Watch for words that say a product is for research.
As of September 2026, FDA warns that weight-loss products are being sold for people to use despite labels reading 'for research purposes' or 'not for human consumption'.
You may be harmed by these products, whose quality is not known, FDA says.d
Retatrutide and cagrilintide are unapproved drug ingredients, unlike the approved medicine products described above, as of September 2026.
Neither ingredient has demonstrated safety and effectiveness for any health condition, FDA says as of September 2026.
According to FDA as of September 2026, using either retatrutide or cagrilintide in compounding is prohibited under federal law.d
Keep the exact product name in your notes. Ask the clinician what public record supports the treatment being offered.
Sources for this check.
Check the exact name, product or payment terms in the relevant record.
The name is the start. The product and use matter too.
Ask why it is made to order