Find out which kind of product it is.

A medicine reviewed by FDA

For US medicine reviews, the responsible agency is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

FDA has approved certain uses of semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy. Tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, also has FDA approval for certain uses. This was checked on September 26, 2026.

FDA approval covers the exact medicine it reviewed. Another medicine with the same ingredient name does not share that approval.

Ask which use is being discussed and which exact product would be prescribed.

A medicine made to order

In compounding, the medicine is prepared for a patient’s need by a pharmacist or doctor.

A compounded medicine has no FDA approval. This rule was checked on September 26, 2026.

Before sale, FDA does not check a compounded medicine’s quality, its safety, or whether it works well.

A made-to-order medicine can be lawful. The pharmacy still has to follow the rules for that medicine. This was checked on September 26, 2026.

Ask what need a ready-made medicine would leave unmet, whether this ingredient is allowed, and which rule permits the copy.

A product labelled for research

A research label refers to use in research, rather than a medicine for your care.

FDA warns against weight drugs labelled for research but offered to people as treatment. This warning was checked on September 26, 2026.

These products have unknown quality and could harm health, FDA says.

Ask about the product’s status before treating a research label as reassurance.

A medicine on an official list may still lack approval.

The National Drug Code, shortened to NDC, identifies a medicine by number on a government list. Having this number does not prove FDA approval. This rule was checked on September 26, 2026.

A medicine’s name on a government drug website does not prove approval either.