FDA ends GLP-1 drug shortage. Concerns over safety, counterfeit drugs, and high cost of brand-name versions persist; physicians to stay cautious and inform patients about risks and alternatives.
For the last 2 years, compounded versions of glucagon-like peptide 1 medications have been big business. Nearly 137 million American adults are eligible to use these costly drugs to treat diabetes and obesity, or for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. That’s more than half of our adult population, so it’s no surprise the drugs have been in short supply.
There are risks specific to the way the drugs are dispensed, too. Brand-name GLP-1s generally come in prefilled injection pens. With compounded versions, patients must learn to fill an empty syringe from a vial. User error is common. , skyrocketing demand has led several insurers to post operating losses. Coverage was restrictive before, but it’s even more so in 2025., which tracks how insurance companies handle these drugs, almost 5 million people lost coverage for Zepbound this year. And for patients whose insurance does cover some GLP-1s, 83% now must meet some additional requirement, like prior authorization.
Once the ban on large-scale compounding of GLP-1s takes effect, physicians should be on the lookout for — and warn their patients about — counterfeit versions that might fill the gap, Powell said. TheMeanwhile, the drug companies behind brand-name GLP-1s are getting into the act, selling direct-to-consumers well below list price. Last summer, Eli Lilly began to offer a month’s supply of Zepbound for between $350 and $500 without insurance.
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