If it costs under $300 a month, it is compounded. Here is what that means.
We explain GLP-1 prescriptions the way a good pharmacist would: what is actually in the vial, who prepared it, under what licence, and what the price really is across 12 programmes.
Disclosure: one company on this page — Coreage Rx — pays us a commission when a reader signs up through our link. It does not buy a better score, a higher ranking, or the removal of any criticism. The scoring rubric and the full disclosure are both published.
The two medications
Nearly every programme here dispenses one of these. They are not interchangeable, and one outperformed the other in a head-to-head trial.
Sold as Zepbound and Mounjaro. In SURMOUNT-1, adults with obesity lost an average of 19.5% of body weight on 10 mg and 20.9% on 15 mg over 72 weeks.
Sold as Wegovy and Ozempic. In STEP-1, adults on 2.4 mg lost an average of about 14.9% of body weight over 68 weeks.
Who dispenses tirzepatide
The “product” column is the one to read first. One programme here dispenses the FDA-approved branded medication; everyone else supplies a compounded preparation.
| Dispensed by | Product | Per month | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coreage Rx Best overall on true monthly cost | Compounded | $199 | 4.5 |
| Mochi Health Insurance concierge support | Compounded | $278 +$79 fee | 3.6 |
| Hims & Hers Widest range of formats | Compounded | $238 +$39 fee | 3.5 |
| Ro Branded medication with insurance help | FDA-approved brand | $448 +$149 fee | 3.5 |
| Zealthy Low-cost entry with insurance routing | Compounded | $216 | 3.5 |
| LifeMD Insurance coordination | Compounded | $149 | 3.5 |
Who dispenses semaglutide
| Dispensed by | Product | Per month | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coreage Rx Best overall on true monthly cost | Compounded | $149 | 4.5 |
| Mochi Health Insurance concierge support | Compounded | $178 +$79 fee | 3.6 |
| Hims & Hers Widest range of formats | Compounded | $188 +$39 fee | 3.5 |
| Ro Branded medication with insurance help | FDA-approved brand | $448 +$149 fee | 3.5 |
| Zealthy Low-cost entry with insurance routing | Compounded | $151 | 3.5 |
| LifeMD Insurance coordination | Compounded | $149 | 3.5 |
Explainers
- What "compounded" actually means
Not a knock-off, not an approved drug. A specific legal category with specific consequences — explained without the scare tactics or the sales pitch.
Updated 2026-09-18
- 503A vs 503B pharmacies
Two different licences, two different rulebooks, two very different answers to "who checked this?"
Updated 2026-09-18
- Reading your label
What each line on the vial and the paperwork means, and the four things to check the moment the box arrives.
Updated 2026-09-18
- Who should not take these
The contraindications and interactions an online questionnaire may not catch. Worth reading before you fill one in.
Updated 2026-09-18
Comparisons
- Tirzepatide programmes compared
12 programmes side by side — what each dispenses, under what authority, and what it really costs.
Updated 2026-09-18
- Semaglutide programmes compared
9 programmes side by side — what each dispenses, under what authority, and what it really costs.
Updated 2026-09-18
- Brand-name or compounded?
The difference is not quality claims either way — it is what has been reviewed, by whom, and what recourse you have.
Updated 2026-09-18
Important. If a seller does not require a prescription and a clinician review, that is not a bargain. The FDA issued more than 55 warning letters to online sellers of compounded GLP-1s in September 2025. What the rules say now →
Prices verified 2026-09-18