“It’s hard to know what’s in them.”By Korin MillerPublished: Nov 05, 2024 9:00 AM ESTSave Article

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While plenty of people rave about the weight loss results you can get from drugs like Ozempic, there’s also been a ton of chatter over the fact that these meds are really expensive. These drugs have also been in and out of shortage, making it tough to get your hands on Ozempic and similar medications—if you can afford it.

With that, some people have turned to telehealth and compounding pharmacies to get semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic). And, if you don’t have a primary care physician or have one who feels comfortable prescribing these medications, it also makes sense to turn to telehealth.

This isn’t perfect, though, and access to Ozempic through compounding pharmacies may be tough in the future. Similar medication tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) just moved off the Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortages list, which means that compounding pharmacies will no longer be able to make and sell them. (They can only create their own versions of these medications when they’re in shortage.)