Ask about harm before you agree

Made to order leaves a gap in review

Compounding means making a medicine to meet a patient's needs.

The US drug regulator is called the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA for short.

As of September 2026, compounded drugs have not had FDA review of safety, quality, or benefit before sale.

Ask what is known about the product and what remains unknown. Bring the answer back to your own health history.

Storage depends on the actual product

For storage, the product matters: one peptide medicine may require refrigeration while another can stay at room temperature.

Ask for the product's written storage instructions from the pharmacy. Ask what to do if a delivery does not meet them.

Reports include measuring mistakes

Measuring errors involving injections of compounded semaglutide had been reported to the FDA by September 2026; some cases required treatment in hospital.

Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is the ingredient in those branded products.

Take any uncertainty about the product or its instructions to the pharmacist or prescriber for an explanation. A guess is not an answer.

Bring pregnancy into the conversation

Approved medicines have FDA-reviewed information about pregnancy. As of September 2026, compounded and other unapproved products have no pregnancy information reviewed in that way.

Mention pregnancy, plans for pregnancy, or breastfeeding in the visit. Ask about the exact product rather than assuming a rule for all peptides.

Severe allergic symptoms need urgent help

Breathing problems, facial swelling, or tongue swelling may signal a severe allergic reaction.

This kind of reaction is a medical emergency; seek emergency help for severe symptoms.

You can report a medicine problem

Patients can report unwanted effects to the FDA through its free MedWatch service.

A report does not establish that the drug caused the problem.

Ask the clinician how to get help as well as how to record what happened.