Have you been offered a named medicine, something made to order, or a chemical with a research label? Those descriptions lead to different questions.
An approved medicine
For US medicine review, the agency is the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA for short.
As of September 26, 2026, US products with FDA approval include semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) as well as tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound).
For example, semaglutide is the ingredient name, while Wegovy is a product name.
Ask: What name will be on the box? Is it a tablet or an injection? Which health condition would this medicine address?
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A medicine made to order
Compounding starts with a patient's needs: a medicine is prepared for that person instead of using a ready-made product.
FDA approval does not cover compounded medicines, as of September 26, 2026.
Ask what need the ready-made medicine leaves unmet. Ask which pharmacy will prepare it.
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A research label
FDA letters, as of September 26, 2026, say using a research label does not excuse marketing an unapproved drug for people.
If the sales page promises to treat a health problem, ask who will assess you and prescribe the medicine. A research label does not answer those questions.
A useful opening question
Can you name the medicine in full, say if it comes as tablets or injections, and explain why it is being considered for my concern? There is no need to know all the terms before asking.