{
  "id": 11675291,
  "title": "I’m an obesity expert and can’t wait for the compounding craze to stop",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/im-an-obesity-expert-and-cant-wait-for-the-compounding-craze-to-stop",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-03T11:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/03/fda-compounded-glp1-telehealth-enforcement/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "I am a medical professional who focuses on treating obesity via video consultations. Completing all necessary steps such as labs, history-taking, and follow-ups, is achievable through a virtual connection. However, I have never prescribed a compounded GLP-1. This is due to the importance of good telemedicine not taking shortcuts. It is time for the FDA to enforce this by targeting online distributors, substitute prescribers, and entities abusing compounding regulations. The agency should release guidance specifying that price is not a medical justification for compounding a drug, that a compounded GLP-1 is not an identical substitute for an approved one, and that prescribing one without valid medical necessity puts patients at risk and medical licenses in jeopardy. Those promoting this compounding trend should cease. If you cannot specify the medical reason your patient requires a counterfeit GLP-1, you do not have a valid reason. Recently, the FDA issued warning letters to 30 telehealth companies for their misleading advertisements between approved and compounded GLP-1s. However, vague warnings do not alter the bottom line. As the demand for GLP-1s has increased, so has the market for compounded alternatives offered as swift, convenient, and cost-effective options. To patients, they can appear almost identical: similar names, similar claims, even similar injector pens. However, they are vastly different. Compounded drugs are not subject to the same inspections and reviews that commercially manufactured medicines undergo. While some compounding pharmacies are meticulous, adhering to proper practices and providing a certificate of analysis, others are not. Patients ordering online through these rapid-turnaround conglomerates have no way of knowing whether they are injecting the correct version or even if they are informed of the difference beforehand. If a patient reports side effects a few weeks later, I must be aware whether it is the drug, the dosage, or something additional that was added. Without this top-tier oversight, what is in the vial may not correspond to what is on the label. Sterility issues and dosing errors have become a reality. Medical supervision should not end after the initial visit. Before prescribing, I want to understand their diabetes history, sleep apnea, eating disorder, or any medications that could cause negative interactions. I monitor body composition throughout treatment, as rapid weight loss without sufficient protein can weaken muscles and bones. None of this is occurring in these sensational online platforms. A recent study of compounded GLP-1 sellers revealed minimal clinician involvement, and some orders were fulfilled in under five minutes. That is no more than commercial fulfillment. Federal law permits pharmacies to compound for an individual medical requirement, such as an ingredient allergy or an inability to swallow a pill, and to fill temporary shortages. When the GLP-1 shortages ended over a year ago, sellers redirected: Add a substance, typically vitamin B12, and market the product as personalized. No researcher has researched these combinations in humans, and no reasonable individual would consider this type of mass workaround a medical necessity. I comprehend why this market exists. These medications are costly, insurance coverage is inconsistent, and economic strain across the country is severe. I take that into account and discuss all options with my patients. We usually reach the same conclusion: There is no discount with medicine when you cannot be certain of what you are receiving. Without official action, I am apprehensive that the issue will worsen. An FDA advisory panel last month suggested adding six unapproved peptides to the list of substances that can be compounded in bulk, based on almost no human evidence. Until I have proof that a substance is safe and effective, I will not prescribe it. However, without federal regulations, some companies will not adhere to the same promise. Telemedicine is fantastic for expanding patients' access to experts, particularly for chronic care; however, a survey is not a physician, and untested, unauthorized lookalikes are not medications. Doctors have a responsibility to uphold this line. Regulators must as well. The views expressed in this commentary are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect Fortune's opinions and beliefs.",
  "summary": "If you can't name the medical reason your patient needs a knockoff GLP-1, you don't have one.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}