FDA-approved versus compounded: pharmacy due diligence · medication-first guidance

Choose the medication. Then compare the care route.

Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo are different FDA-approved prescription medicines. Start with the exact drug, then evaluate costs, eligibility, clinician review and whether a provider actually offers it.

semaglutide · prescription tablet or injection

Wegovy

Wegovy is prescription semaglutide used for weight management in eligible patients. The oral tablet and weekly injection are different products with distinct dosage schedules and administration instructions. A clinician must determine eligibility.

Read Wegovy guide →

tirzepatide · weekly prescription injection

Zepbound

Zepbound is FDA-approved tirzepatide, a once-weekly injection used for labeled weight-management indications and certain adults with obstructive sleep apnea and obesity. It is not an oral treatment, and Foundayo is a different molecule.

Read Zepbound guide →

orforglipron · once-daily prescription pill

Foundayo

Foundayo is FDA-approved oral orforglipron for weight management in eligible adults. It is a different molecule from semaglutide and tirzepatide; approval was announced April 1, 2026.

Read Foundayo guide →
Two different kinds of links: Official manufacturer links below are editorial and not tracked for commission. A care-program affiliate link may compensate this site, but its landing page may not preselect the medicine shown here. Never assume an offer is a branded-drug checkout.

A comparison should answer these questions

  1. Approval is product-specific. FDA-approved branded products have been reviewed for safety, efficacy and quality; compounded versions have not.
  2. Current compounding restrictions. Following resolution of shortages, copying an approved drug generally faces additional federal restrictions; eligibility depends on the clinical circumstances and applicable law.
  3. Who made the medicine. Verify the state-licensed pharmacy or relevant outsourcing facility and the exact active ingredient and dosage form.
  4. Avoid unsupported equivalence. Sublingual drops, lozenges, “oral tirzepatide” and other unapproved formats should not be presented as proven substitutes.
  5. Report questionable marketing. Review FDA safety alerts and ask your prescriber or pharmacist before purchasing an unapproved product.

Exact product information

Wegovy · official info ↗Zepbound · official info ↗Foundayo · official info ↗

Explore existing partner comparisons

To see this publisher’s current paid offers and disclosures, review the existing provider comparisons. Before enrolling, request the exact drug, dose, licensed prescriber, dispensing pharmacy, first payment and renewal price in writing.

Sesame general care-program enrollment (paid link, not a medication-specific checkout) ↗

We do not diagnose or prescribe. Compounded medicines are not FDA-approved and are not interchangeable with these branded products. Read FDA safety guidance.