Separate a name from approval
Medicine approval follows a review by FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. Ask whether this exact medicine has that approval or is made to order.
- Semaglutide and tirzepatide are medicine ingredient names. FDA-approved brands include semaglutide (Ozempic for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy for weight loss) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, Zepbound for weight loss). These are some of their approved uses, checked September 26, 2026.
- A made-to-order medicine, called a compounded preparation, has no FDA approval even if its ingredient appears in an approved product (September 26, 2026).
- Ask whether the proposed item is a finished approved product or a made-to-order preparation.
A code is not a verdict
Drug records use a numerical product identifier called the National Drug Code (NDC). Having that number or appearing in FDA’s drug records does not prove the medicine has FDA approval (September 26, 2026).
- FDA registration of a business also does not amount to approval of that business or its products (September 26, 2026).
- If approval is claimed, ask for the latest FDA-approved prescribing information: the official document explaining the medicine and its uses, rather than the sticker on a bottle.
- Ask for the document’s date and whether a newer version has replaced it.
- Check that the document matches both the medicine’s name and its form, such as a pill or an injection.
Ask about the reason for this choice
Make the discussion about the proposed product specific to your concern.
- What use is it being proposed for?
- What evidence supports that use?
- What are the other ways to address this problem?
- Who would explain the product information before I agree?