For a stretch, compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide were everywhere and cheap. In 2026 that has largely changed. Here is the honest status.
Why it changed
Mass compounding of these drugs was only allowed because they were in official shortage. Those shortages resolved — tirzepatide came off the shortage list in late 2024 and semaglutide in early 2025 — and the FDA’s temporary enforcement discretion ended with them. In 2026 the agency went further, proposing to keep semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide off the 503B bulk-substances list permanently, finding no clinical basis to compound them from bulk when approved versions are available. The public comment period closed on July 30, 2026.
What that means for access
Broad, direct-to-consumer “compounded GLP-1” is no longer generally permitted. Compounding is now limited to narrow, legally defined situations — for example, a documented clinical need an approved product can’t meet, handled through a licensed prescriber and pharmacy. It is not a cheaper way to buy the same drug online.
With the lawful shortage pathway gone, “research use only” GLP-1s sold online are riskier than ever — unapproved, unverified, and outside any pharmacy oversight. A licensed provider is the safe route.
The bottom line
If you were relying on cheap compounded GLP-1, the landscape has shifted toward FDA-approved products through a licensed provider. That is also the safest and most durable path.