Does “research only” count as care?
This source information was recorded on September 26, 2026.
The U.S. agency reviewing medicines, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), warns people against weight medicines labelled for research only.
Their quality is unknown and they can harm people.
Compounded medicines are preparations made to order.
FDA says federal law bars the use of retatrutide and cagrilintide in these made-to-order preparations.
No FDA-approved drug contains either ingredient.
Read the FDA’s weight-medicine cautionsCan made to order mean approved?
This source information was recorded on September 26, 2026.
Preparing medicine to order is called compounding.
Calling that preparation FDA-approved is false.
If a medicine is poorly prepared, germs may enter it. The ingredient that does its work may be present in too great or too small an amount.
Reports sent to FDA describe errors in measuring compounded semaglutide injections. Some errors may have resulted in hospital care.
Ask the pharmacist to explain anything unclear on the label.
Read how the FDA describes compoundingDoes an FDA product number prove approval?
This source information was recorded on September 26, 2026.
A National Drug Code, or NDC, identifies a drug product with a number. Seeing that number in the FDA’s drug list does not establish FDA approval for the medicine.
The agency also does not approve clinics or doctors’ offices.
A pharmacy’s registration with the FDA does not approve its products.
Ask for the medicine’s exact name to check its approval. Use state licence records to check a doctor’s or pharmacy’s permission to provide care.
Read what FDA approval can meanFind medicine and licence checks
What if the basics are missing?
This source information was recorded on September 26, 2026.
Federal law is broken when prescription medicine is supplied without a valid prescription.
FDA’s caution signs include missing pharmacy licences, no pharmacist to answer questions and damaged medicine packaging.
A low price alone does not prove there is a problem. Genuine cash offers and generic medicines, approved copies of brand-name medicines, can cost less.
Read the FDA’s online-pharmacy checks