Semaglutide Compounding Pharmacies: 503A vs 503B, Price

Compounded semaglutide is not FDA approved. The shortage ended on February 21, 2025, and state pharmacies had to stop making copies by April 22, 2025. The brand now starts at $149 a month self-pay.

Prescription: Required
Lowest self-pay: $149 a month
Telehealth from, all in: $223 a month
Shortage: Resolved

A quick look at Wegovy

How long it remains in your body

Half-life about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and after five half-lives (35 d), about 3% remains.

Weight loss in its main trial

Over the 68 weeks of STEP 1, the figure for body weight was 14.9%, compared with 2.4% on placebo.

Prices as time goes on

Monthly costs in US dollars include list prices and self-pay offers, with each taken from the maker's price page.

Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.

All the legitimate ways to get semaglutide, ranked

Ways to get it, with the lowest cost first
Route	Who it is for	What you pay
Ozempic: Novo Nordisk PAP	Household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level	Free if approved
Ozempic: Through your doctor, with insurance plus the savings card	Commercial insurance that covers it	As little as $25 per month for up to 3 months
Wegovy: Through your doctor, with insurance plus the savings card	Commercial insurance that covers it	As little as $25 a month
Rybelsus: Through your doctor, with insurance plus the savings card	Commercial insurance that covers it	A 1-, 2- or 3-month fill may cost as little as $25
Ozempic: NovoCare Pharmacy: Ozempic pill (from 1.5 mg)	Anyone with a prescription, no insurance needed	$149 a month
Ozempic: GoodRx: GoodRx lowest price	Cash at the pharmacy counter	$149 a month
Wegovy: NovoCare Pharmacy: Wegovy pill 1.5 mg	Anyone with a prescription, no insurance needed	$149 a month
Wegovy: TrumpRx listing (pill, starting)	Self-pay only	$149 a month
Wegovy: Costco Pharmacy: member price	Cash at the pharmacy counter	$149 a month

Prices checked November 2026. Each price shown links to the source page it came from.

Sources: Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, TrumpRx, rx.costco.com.

Who qualifies

Every GLP-1 in the US requires a prescription. A prescriber writes it for an approved use listed on the label:

Ozempic: For adults with type 2 diabetes, it lowers blood sugar when used with diet and exercise.
Ozempic: Heart-related death, heart attack or stroke are less likely for adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease who take it.
Wegovy lowers these risks for adults with heart disease, plus obesity or overweight: stroke, heart attack and heart-related death (injection and tablets).
Wegovy: Along with diet and activity, it is for weight loss and keeping the weight off long term, for adults and children 12 and older who have obesity, and for adults who have overweight and a weight-related condition.
For adults with type 2 diabetes, Rybelsus lowers blood sugar and is used with diet and exercise.
For high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes, Rybelsus reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death.

Source: FDA label (DailyMed).

Comparing telehealth choices

Programs offering semaglutide through telehealth
Program	Medicine option	Medicine price	Membership	All in
WeightWatchers Med+	Wegovy pill (self-pay)	$149 a month	$74 a month	$223 a month
WeightWatchers Med+	Ozempic injectable pen (self-pay)	$199 a month	$74 a month	$273 a month
Ro	Wegovy pill, starting dose	$149 a month	$149 a month	$298 a month
Hims & Hers	Wegovy pill	$149 a month	$149 a month after first month	$298 a month
Hims & Hers	Ozempic pen	$199 a month	$149 a month after first month	$348 a month
Sesame (Success by Sesame)	Wegovy or Ozempic pen, after intro months	$349 a month	$59 a month	$408 a month
Ro	Wegovy pen, 1 mg to 2.4 mg	$349 a month	$149 a month	$498 a month
Mochi Health	Compounded semaglutide (not FDA approved)	$60 a month	$79 a month after free first month	$139 a month
Henry Meds	Compounded semaglutide taken under the tongue (tablets or drops), not FDA approved	$179 a month	Not listed	Included
Noom Med	Microdose GLP-1Rx Program (compounded) (not FDA approved)	once the first 4 weeks are done, billing is quarterly at $179 a month	Not listed	Included
Noom Med	GLP-1Rx Program (compounded semaglutide) (not FDA approved)	the monthly cost is $249 after the first 4 weeks, with quarterly billing	Not listed	Included
Found	Compounded GLP-1 plan (not FDA approved)	$99 a month	$169 a month cash	$268 a month
Henry Meds	Compounded semaglutide (weekly injection) (not FDA approved)	$297 a month	Not listed	Included

Every price comes from its program's pricing page. We receive no payment from any of them.

Sources: weightwatchers.com, ro.co, hims.com, sesamecare.com.

Shortage status

On February 21, 2025, the semaglutide injection shortage was resolved. Rybelsus tablets that are older are being discontinued.

Product supply for semaglutide
Product	FDA status	Availability
Rybelsus tablet 3 mg, 7 mg, 14 mg	To Be Discontinued	Replaced by Ozempic (semaglutide) tablets

March 2022: first appeared on the FDA shortage list
Shortage resolved: February 21, 2025
State pharmacies had to stop compounding copies on April 22, 2025
Outsourcing facilities had to stop as of May 22, 2025

Sources: FDA, api.fda.gov.

Scam signals

No prescription required: sellers who skip the prescription are not licensed US pharmacies.
A brand price far below what the manufacturer charges: the lowest self-pay price for the brand is $149 a month.
A compounded drug marketed as the brand is not FDA approved, which means it is not Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound.
Salt forms: neither semaglutide sodium nor semaglutide acetate matches the active ingredient in approved drugs.
Claims of being identical to the brand: telehealth companies made misleading claims, prompting the FDA to issue 30 warning letters.
Harm reports: the FDA has on file 990 adverse event reports connected to compounded semaglutide.
One program faced FTC action for a monthly price that did not include the drug. Read the NextMed review.

Sources: Novo Nordisk pricing, NovoCare, TrumpRx, rx.costco.com.

Find it in your state

Hims & Hers: Available in fewer than 50 states
Noom Med: Missing from some of the 50 states
NovoCare Pharmacy (delivery network) serves all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico

The route you take depends most on Medicaid rules. at present, 10 Medicaid programs run by states cover GLP-1s for weight loss. Choose your state to see the drug list and the rules for prior authorization:

Sources: hims.com, noom.com, NovoCare.