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Compare the kind of medicine

A similar name does not make two products the same.

The status check comes first

The U.S. medicine agency is called the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

The product-status information is dated September 26, 2026.

Ready-made, made to order, or research-labeled

Approved product

Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) has FDA-approved products with specified uses.

Ask for the exact product name and its purpose.

Made to order

Compounding prepares a medicine to meet a particular order. A pharmacist, doctor, or medicine-making site registered with FDA may prepare it.

For such a site, registration means listing itself with FDA. It is not approval of the site or its medicines.

FDA does not approve compounded drugs or check their quality, safety, and effectiveness before marketing.

Research label

Unapproved drugs sold for use in people may carry “not for human consumption” or a label saying “for research purposes”. FDA urges people to stay away from these drugs: their quality has not been established, and harm is possible.

A prescription and a product’s approval status answer different questions.

“Generic” has a specific meaning

An approved version of a medicine sold under a brand name is called a generic; a compounded drug is different.

As of September 2026, neither semaglutide nor tirzepatide has an approved generic that can be marketed in the United States.

FDA registration means a medicine-making site has listed itself with the agency. FDA’s drug list assigns a product number called the National Drug Code (NDC). Neither shows that FDA approved the product.

Ask for a plain answer

  • Is this the approved product or a custom preparation?
  • If it is custom-made, what need does the change address for me?
  • Who prepares it, and who sends it?
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