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How to get a GLP-1 in the US

Six steps from the first question to the first dose. Answer three questions and the route reorders itself for your insurance, your doctor and whether you would rather take a shot or a pill.

Free. Nothing you enter leaves your browser. Checked October 18, 2026.

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How are you insured?
Do you have a doctor you see?
Would you rather take a shot or a pill?
Three taps and your route appears here, step by step, with the tool for each step.

The four approved for weight

Saxenda, a daily injection, is also approved but is due to be discontinued in January 2027.

  • Weekly shotZepboundtirzepatide, Eli Lilly2.5 mg to start, then up in 2.5 mg steps at least 4 weeks apart; 5 to 15 mg to stay on.Self-pay from $299 a month
  • Weekly shotWegovysemaglutide, Novo Nordisk0.25 mg for 4 weeks, rising every 4 weeks to 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg); adults may go to 7.2 mg after 4 weeks on 2.4 mg.Self-pay from $349 a month
  • Daily pillWegovy pillsemaglutide, Novo Nordisk1.5 mg for 30 days, then 4 mg, then 9 mg, then 25 mg from day 91.Self-pay from $149 a month
  • Daily pillFoundayoorforglipron, Eli Lilly0.8 mg, then 2.5 mg, then 5.5 mg, each for at least 30 days; then 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg.Self-pay from $149 a month

Seeing a prescriber by video

GLP-1 medicines are not controlled substances, so the federal rules that limit prescribing some drugs by video do not apply to them. A prescriber still has to be licensed in the state where you are. Expect the same questions as in an office: your weight history, conditions, medicines, and for some people blood tests. A good service will ask about your personal and family history of medullary thyroid cancer, which the Wegovy and Zepbound labels carry a boxed warning about.

Be careful with any service that sells a compounded version as if it were the approved medicine. The FDA says compounded GLP-1s may not be called generic or the same as an approved drug.

A phone on a stand beside a mug and a notebook on a desk

Compounded versions, in October 2026

  • The FDA declared the tirzepatide shortage over on 19 December 2024 and the semaglutide shortage over on 21 February 2025. The grace periods for compounding pharmacies ended in spring 2025.
  • On 6 February 2026 the FDA said it would restrict GLP-1 ingredients in non-approved compounded drugs, and on 3 March 2026 it sent warning letters to 30 telehealth companies over how they marketed them.
  • Compounded versions are not FDA-approved, may not be called generic or the same as the approved drug, and some use salt forms of semaglutide that are a different active ingredient.
  • On 30 April 2026 the FDA proposed removing semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the list larger outsourcing facilities can compound from. No final decision had been published by 18 October 2026.

Then, what to eat

Once you have it, the medicine changes how much you can eat. The free GLP-1 diet calculator works out your protein floor and three days of food for your dose, and the recipes are written for small appetites.

Questions people ask

Can I get a GLP-1 prescription online?

Yes. GLP-1 medicines are not controlled substances, so the federal rules that limit prescribing some drugs by video do not apply to them. A prescriber still has to be licensed in the state where you are. LillyDirect links to independent virtual-care providers and NovoCare offers a telehealth option.

Do I need insurance to get a GLP-1?

No. Lilly and Novo Nordisk sell directly to people paying themselves: Zepbound from $299 a month, Wegovy pens at $349, and the Foundayo and Wegovy pills from $149 at the starting dose. You still need a prescription.

Is compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide still legal?

The shortages that allowed large-scale compounding ended in 2024 and 2025. Compounded versions are not FDA-approved, and in 2026 the FDA moved to restrict them and warned 30 telehealth companies about how they marketed them.

Which GLP-1 is right for me?

That is a decision for you and your prescriber, weighing your conditions, whether you prefer a weekly shot or a daily pill, what your insurance covers and what you can pay. The eligibility check and cost calculator on this site help you arrive with the facts.

More free tools

Sources, checked October 18, 2026

  1. Wegovy prescribing information, DailyMed (revised June 2026)
  2. Novo Nordisk: FDA approves Wegovy pill (22 December 2025)
  3. Zepbound prescribing information, DailyMed (revised August 2026)
  4. Foundayo prescribing information, DailyMed (revised July 2026)
  5. LillyDirect: Zepbound self-pay
  6. NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay
  7. TrumpRx.gov
  8. CMS: Medicare GLP-1 Bridge
  9. CMS: GLP-1 Bridge information for prescribers (June 2026)
  10. Medicare.gov: weight-loss drugs
  11. DEA list of controlled substances
  12. FDA: policies for compounders as GLP-1 supply stabilizes
  13. FDA: action against non-FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs (6 February 2026)
  14. FDA: warning letters to 30 telehealth companies (3 March 2026)
  15. FDA: proposal to exclude semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list (30 April 2026)

General information for people in the United States, not medical, legal or insurance advice. Prices and plan rules change; the source links above are the final word. foodose does not prescribe, sell or dispense medicine, and is not affiliated with Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly.