The GLP-1 Shortage: Patients Face High Prices After Compounding Pharmacy Crackdown

The explosion of compounded GLP-1 offerings is ending, leaving many patients with limited options. Regulators no longer consider blockbuster obesity and diabetes drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro to be in short supply, forcing compounding pharmacies and telehealth partners to cease offering copies. Hundreds of thousands of patients are now struggling, as companies alter prescriptions, add additives, or encourage stockpiling, while some have disappeared entirely. Many are left to purchase expensive brand-name medications, priced around $1,000 a month, though Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have offered lower prices ($350-$700). This is still unaffordable for many who previously obtained compounded drugs for about $200 a month. Pharma companies are suing compounders, citing safety concerns (the FDA has received over 700 adverse event reports related to compounded GLP-1s). They also view compounders as a threat to their projected $100 billion annual obesity drug market by 2030.