Off-brand compounded weight loss drugs containing active ingredients from popular brands like Wegovy and Zepbound are available at lower prices, prepared by pharmacists and offered through telehealth websites or med spas, requiring prescriptions for consumer use.
The compounded drugs cost significantly less than the original brand-name drugs, such as Hims offering a month's supply of semaglutide for $199 compared to around $1,300 for Wegovy alone, with telehealth services included.
Compounded drugs do not undergo the FDA's review process like generics, leading to potential quality and safety concerns as they are primarily regulated by state pharmacy boards, not the FDA, indicating instances of looser regulation.
Compounding pharmacies usually cater to specific patient needs not met by standard FDA-approved medicines, like making preservative-free versions for allergic individuals, although preparing essentially identical copies of existing drugs is typically not within their scope under FDA regulations.
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