Drugs made by a compounding pharmacy are not necessarily unsafe, but these medications don’t undergo the rigorous testing, standardization, and regulatory oversight required for FDA-approved drugs. This means their quality, consistency, and safety can vary. Some research suggests compounded GLP-1 drugs are associated with higher risks of adverse health events like diarrhea, gallbladder inflammation, and suicidal ideation.
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Many clinicians are happy to prescribe compounded GLP-1 weight loss drugs, but some experts caution that the limited oversight may expose patients to unnecessary risks. Juliana Simonetti, MD, a codirector of the comprehensive weight management program at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, says anyone buying compounded drugs from a dubious source runs the risk of using medications that pose safety risks.
“I’m very clear in telling my patients to not get compounded versions,” she says. “I feel their pain and desperation, but I’m telling them not to do it because these are dangerous practices.”
Other experts agree with that opinion. Andrew Kraftson, MD, the director of the weight navigation program at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, believes strongly in the value of medications like semaglutide and understands why people are scrambling to get the drugs. He points out that obesity is highly stigmatized and undertreated.
“There’s this sense of urgency that’s driving people to make rash decisions,” he says. “They feel like, ‘This is out there now. I should have been on it yesterday.’”
But without FDA oversight, Dr. Kraftson says, compounded versions are too risky. “It’s problematic that there is this inherent conflict of interest,” he says about providers who might be willing to compromise safety in pursuit of profit.
