Compounded GLP-1 medications help fill a necessary gap, but can have significant safety issues.

Compounded GLP-1 medications are largely unregulated and may contain contaminated ingredients.

Stronger oversight is needed to provide clearer public guidance about compounded GLP-1 medication.

A recent op-ed in the Washington Post describes the story of an author who decided he wanted to lose weight. Although he was healthy, he heard from friends how easy and effective GLP-1 medications could be. Instead of receiving a prescription from his health-care provider for a brand-name medication, he was prescribed a compounded injectable containing the active ingredient in Zepbound. He took it to a local pharmacy and had it filled. Instead of achieving the desired weight loss, within two weeks, he was in acute liver failure. Thankfully, he survived, but he required an emergency liver transplant. The pathology report that came back after surgery revealed that his liver had extensive cell death as a result of severe drug-induced injury.

According to an update published in JAMA, almost one in eight adults in the United States reports having tried a GLP-1 medication. Forty percent of these individuals said they intended to use these medications for weight loss. Almost the same proportion reported using them to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. Most respondents said the prescriptions they received were from their primary care physician or a specialist. However, almost 20 percent obtained theirs from other sources, such as weight-loss clinics, medical spas, or online providers.

Many respondents had health insurance that refused to pay for their prescription. In a different poll, nearly 30 percent of adults taking these medications said they paid out of pocket. These costs are not inconsequential. Without insurance, for example, a one‑month supply of brand-name medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, or Zepbound typically costs between $900 and $1,400.

According to an article in BMC Public Health, older adults in the United States from racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as those with lower socioeconomic status (SES), bear a disproportionate burden of obesity and related health problems. Because of this, and due to........

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