This article is educational and does not replace medical advice. Prescription medication requires review by a licensed clinician and, when appropriate, a valid prescription. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved.
Disclosure: this site does not earn commission on outbound provider links. Rankings are computed from the published dataset and can be reproduced from it.
Written by Kim Callender, NP, FNP-BC·Reviewed by Jonathan Snipes, MD·Published 2026-04-10·Last reviewed 2026-04-10·Prices verified 2026-04-10·Methodology v1.0

Alerts continue on counterfeit product and unapproved salt forms

Two different problems with one outcome: an unverified substance in a syringe.

Regulators and manufacturers have continued issuing alerts about falsified branded product reaching patients through unlicensed sellers, and about unregulated peptide sold with research-use disclaimers.

Separately, FDA has distinguished semaglutide base from salt forms such as semaglutide sodium and acetate, and has linked the salt forms to safety concerns. A legitimate compounded preparation uses the base peptide.

Neither problem is detectable by inspection, which is the whole argument for the licensed channel. Ask which form your pharmacy compounds from, and ask for the certificate of analysis for your lot.

What this changes for what you pay

Most developments in this category move one of three things: the price of the branded product, which programmes are operating, or what may lawfully be compounded. Very few change the prescription requirement or the clinical review behind a prescription.

Where a development moves a figure we publish, the change is recorded with its date on our methodology page rather than edited in silently.

How to verify this yourself

Regulatory claims should be checked against the agency rather than coverage of the agency. FDA publishes warning letters searchable by company name and a drug shortage database, both free and both more current than any summary.

Frequently asked questions

When did this happen?
Dated 2026-04-10. We record the date of the development rather than the date we wrote about it.
Does this change what I can be prescribed?
Almost never. Developments in this category usually change price, availability or what may lawfully be compounded at scale, not the prescription requirement itself.
Is compounded GLP-1 still legal?
Yes, under patient-specific compounding. The scope narrowed after the 2024 and 2025 shortage resolutions and is considerably narrower than it was in 2024.