Question 1

Is it easy to switch from my current provider?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You will need a picture (screenshot) of your current script. If you don't have that readily available, some will alternately accept a photo of your vial box from your current pharmacy showing your dose level. Many, if not most people end up using more than one provider over time. It is easy to transfer.

Question 2

Why do some providers offer service in my state and not others?

Accepted Answer

There are a few reasons. Some states have different regulations surrounding telehealth. In California, for example, there is a lengthy and expensive approval process. Some providers skip this state and intentionally stay smaller. Some are in the process but it just hasn't reach completion yet. California reportedly also gives preference to businesses located in this state, so some of the providers who offer service there are located in California. 
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If you are paying a rate or with a company you aren't entirely satisfied with currently in one of the limited states, feel free to check back to see if things have opened up. I know that some are in the works.

Question 3

Why do I need to share my ID or take a video?

Accepted Answer

As telehealth providers, they are all required to have you provide a form of identification. It will be with submitting a photo of your driver's license and/or a video of you self-identifying. Different states have different requirements along these lines but either method is protected by HIPAA law just as it is in a doctor's office setting.

Question 4

What comes in the package?

Accepted Answer

The package will be a large shipping box. You might be surprised at the size. It will include a large padded cold pack sleeve with a large ice pack or ice packs. The pre-mixed vial will be nested inside the cold pack. Your supplies will typically be outside the cold pack. So don't throw away the box thinking you didn't receive your needles and wipes.. Reputable pharmacies all include them.

Question 5

What to expect on delivery day?

Accepted Answer

I have had people ask me if they need to leave a cooler on their porch, if they need to take the day off of work, or whether the package will be ok for hours. I can say that I would be confident with my meds being packed as well as they are, and seeing other folks packaging, to leave them out for many hours. Some of you live in very hot climates so you'd want to decide what's right for you. Mine have full-size ice packs that are still solid ice when they arrive. In general, with this whole process, I would say to worry less.

Question 6

Why is there such little liquid in the vial?

Accepted Answer

You may think it looks like not enough, but actually they are always buffered with a little extra. You will see as you go. But reading this, now you won't be surprised.

Question 7

Shipping & Delivery Notices

Accepted Answer

With the current surge in demand, providers and pharmacies are working around the clock to fill orders. It is the same across the board. We tend to all be excited to get our shipments, too! One thing that is recommended is to download the FedEx app. You may get a shipping notice from your provider first, but sometimes when the pharmacy drops it with FedEx -- before contacting the provider who contacts you -- it will zip through the FedEx system and pop up as an incoming delivery to you quickest. I hear that most pharmacies use FedEx.

Question 8

Will any compound providers accept HSA or FSA?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all of the providers I have spoken with do currently accept HSA or FSA.

Question 9

I'm scared of needles!

Accepted Answer

This is the teeniest of them. Seriously, I was too. I just stared at it. But diabetics do it every day, and these are insulin needles. 
 
You may have seen the oral forms being touted, and I would just say the research shows the bioavailability of those forms to be pretty low. If you are going to do a GLP-1, to me, the only sensible route is injectables. This will become a more commonplace administration of medication at home in the future, with injectable peptide therapies becoming these groundbreaking option to avoid needing heavy medications down the road. Why injectable? Because they bypass your gut where they'd be degraded. Seriously, I picked a freckle on my thigh and went for it. Then I had to laugh at myself because that was it. It was no big deal. Then after the loss of inflammation, my rings falling off within two weeks, the relief felt in my body and mind from calmed tissues, and then losing weight? I honestly started seeing it as a self-care ritual.

Question 10

How do I travel with my medication?

Accepted Answer

You are allowed to carry medication and supplies including needles in your carry-on luggage with a valid prescription. You will want to print your script and keep with your medication. There are travel coolers you can find easily on Amazon. One user recommended this case with the digital thermometer, TSA approved. Other folks use a large metal water bottle and put an ice pack inside.

Question 11

What do I do if I stall in my weight loss?

Accepted Answer

What do I do if I stall in my weight loss?
There is a page dedicated to Tips For Stalls and your provider will guide you too. Just know, this is common. It's not the pharmacy watering down the medication, as some jump to that conclusion and make comments about the pharmacy online, it is not statistically likely that you're a non-responder, it is just part of the nature of the medication. It is the same in studies of branded GLP-1's. And there are some easy things to try to breeze on by a stall.

Question 12

What other benefits do GLP-1's have?

Accepted Answer

The exploration of what these peptides can do is ongoing, but as people take them, they are reporting benefits like these. Also, there's no reason you have to tell people why you are taking a GLP-1, but weight loss can be considered a side effect, rather than a goal. The goals can also be...
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Lower inflammation in body & brain. Pain relief. Better sleep. They are sometimes prescribed for sleep apnea.
Joint pain relief (including arthritis). People are reporting getting off of other meds.
Alcohol craving reduced - it's even being prescribed off-label for alcohol and drug dependency
Other cravings reduced. Users talk about stopping other compulsive behaviors like shopping, gambling, even nail biting.
Improved liver and kidney function
Dementia/Alzheimers treatment and prevention. A perk since it runs in my family. Maybe yours too.
Improve cholesterol levels. Lower blood pressure. Reduced risk of cardiovascular issues, and not just for those who are obese.
Protect Your Heart / Longevity
Tony Bashall MD, a cardiologist at Franciscan Health Indiana Heart Physicians, Obesity brings serious risks. “If you have a BMI of 30 or more, your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes is four to five times higher. With a BMI over 35, that risk jumps to 12 times.” He explains, “Heart health is one of the biggest benefits I’ve seen from these medications."
Talk to your provider about the ways in which the GLP-1 may help your situation and you may be surprised.
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Inflammation was personally my most dramatic takeaway. Chronic inflammation is the root cause of most diseases, and I had no idea how inflamed my body was until taking tirzepatide. I was into holistic health, studied herbalism, ate well, made turmeric and ginger root juices, I truly had no idea until it was gone. I felt calmer too.

Question 13

What happens now that the shortage is over?

Accepted Answer

GLP-1's were allowed to be compounded as 1:1 "exact copies" during the shortage. After the shortage ended, compounding pharmacies reverted to their traditional role of offering only personalized medications. Any providers that want to continue to offer compounded GLP-1's is required to add a minimum of 10% of another ingredient, and also to prove a medical necessity.
 
Right now, there is inventory that is grandfathered in to be shipped. Going forward, the medications will be tailored to each individual patient using a combination of biomarkers. It's a very exciting time! Not only do you get to speak to specialists in GLP-1 therapies in free consults, but you get a medication that is tailored to you. It is a new era in telehealth. Compounding pharmacies will be playing a central role in our health as a nation going forward. For more details, I have a dedicated page

Question 14

Do you know any discount codes?

Accepted Answer

YES! Most companies do not offer promo codes but I know the ones who do.
Emerge - $50 off using FEELGOOD50
OrderlyMeds - $50 off using GO4ORDERLY
TeleWellnessMD - 25% off using MARSHA25

Question 15

Do I have to stay on it forever?

Accepted Answer

No. Most people use GLP-1's as a tool to create long-lasting lifestyle changes. Some may decide under the guidance of their provider to stay on a low maintenance dose long-term, or a microdose, which means low cost. Others choose to have some on-hand because they enjoy the feeling of no food noise. It's a personal choice.

Question 16

Will you know if I sign up?

Accepted Answer

No. It's confidential. But if you'd like me to know, it helps keep the site alive. I also put any referral credits in Iris' college fund. I don't have ads on the site because I don't want anyone to feel marketed to when they are looking for real solutions for their health. And this is my site, so I get to have a corner of the internet that's authentic. But if you want  to make sure I get credit, just shoot me an email at alison@compoundproviders.com and say hi!

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