Safety Center

Verify your GLP-1 provider before you enroll

GLP-1 medications are prescription drugs with real side effects and a complex regulatory landscape.

Over 50 FDA warning letters have been issued to GLP-1 compounding pharmacies since 2025.

Before starting treatment:

  • Verify your provider
  • Understand side effects
  • Know your rights

Independent safety resources. No provider pays for placement in our safety assessments.

Safety Resource

Side Effects Guide (cross-drug)

Comprehensive breakdown of GLP-1 side effects with exact percentages from FDA prescribing information. Covers nausea, GI issues, rare complications, and how to manage them.

44%experience nausea
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Wegovy side effects deep dive

Per-drug guide: rates from the FDA-approved Wegovy label, week-by-week timeline, management protocols for nausea/diarrhea/constipation, red-flag symptoms, and the boxed warning explained.

44%Wegovy nausea rate
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Zepbound side effects deep dive

Per-drug guide for tirzepatide: rates from the FDA-approved Zepbound label, the 24-week dose-escalation timeline, management protocols including hair shedding (2× Wegovy's rate), and the boxed warning.

33%Zepbound nausea rate
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Ozempic side effects deep dive

Per-drug guide for the FDA-approved diabetes doses (0.5mg / 1mg / 2mg). Includes the Ozempic-specific diabetic-retinopathy warning, hypoglycemia management when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas, and the boxed warning.

20.3%Ozempic 1mg nausea rate
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Foundayo side effects deep dive

Per-drug guide for orforglipron, Eli Lilly's first oral GLP-1, FDA-approved April 2026. No fasting required. Trial data from ATTAIN-1, $149/mo self-pay, 12.4% weight loss profile.

35%Foundayo nausea rate
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Mounjaro side effects deep dive

Per-drug guide for tirzepatide at the diabetes indication (5mg / 10mg / 15mg). Same molecule as Zepbound but FDA-approved for T2DM. Includes diabetic-retinopathy warning, hypoglycemia management.

21%Mounjaro 15mg nausea rate
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Rybelsus side effects deep dive

Per-drug guide for oral semaglutide (7mg / 14mg). FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. Covers the unique fasting protocol (4oz water, 30min fast, non-negotiable for absorption), management protocols, and red flags.

20%Rybelsus 14mg nausea rate
Open Resource
Safety Resource

FDA Warning Letters & Alerts

Track FDA enforcement actions against GLP-1 compounding pharmacies and telehealth providers. 50+ warning letters issued since 2025.

50+FDA warnings issued
Open Resource
Safety Resource

Provider Safety Checker

Verify any GLP-1 provider's FDA compliance, pharmacy licensing, and trust score. Search 32 verified providers and 17 FDA-warned companies.

49providers tracked
Open Resource
Safety Resource

GLP-1 Lawsuit Tracker

Monitor active litigation against GLP-1 manufacturers and providers. Class actions, individual claims, and regulatory enforcement updates.

$6B+in active lawsuits
Open Resource
Essential Safety Tips

Three things to do before you start

1

Verify Your Provider

Use our Safety Checker to confirm FDA compliance, pharmacy licensing, and trust scores before enrolling.

2

Start Low, Go Slow

Follow the prescribed titration schedule. Rushing to higher doses increases GI side effects. Use our dosing timeline tool.

3

Report Problems

Report adverse reactions to FDA MedWatch and your prescribing provider immediately.

Independent Clinical Perspective

What the doctors say about GLP-1 safety

Verbatim, independently sourced statements from named physicians and medical bodies, real clinicians quoted with their sources, not a single paid reviewer. General clinical context, not an endorsement of any provider.

Americans should be confident that the prescription drugs they take are safe. By strengthening oversight of imported APIs and cracking down on illegal drugs entering the U.S., we are taking aggressive action to protect consumers from poor-quality or dangerous GLP-1 drugs.
Marty Makary, MD, MPH, FDA Commissioner
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Announcing the FDA 'Green List' to block illegally imported GLP-1 active ingredients used in compounding.
While compounding can play an appropriate role when used to meet the specific needs of an individual patient, the large-scale production and marketing of compounded versions of these medicines raises serious safety risks when products have not undergone the rigorous scientific and regulatory review required for FDA-approved therapies.
Jacqueline M. Stephens, PhD, FTOS, President, The Obesity Society
The Obesity Society
Official Obesity Society statement on compounded GLP-1 medications.
It's not just filling out a form online and then having some random healthcare provider sign off on it. There are concerns with some of these online programs that there's not a proper evaluation, there's not a baseline, and there's not proper supervision.
Marc-Andre Cornier, MD, endocrinologist; immediate past president of The Obesity Society
Medical University of South Carolina
On why some online/telehealth GLP-1 programs fall short of a proper clinical standard of care.
Compounded drugs can be important for overcoming shortages or meeting unique patient needs, but compounders should not try to compound drugs in a way that circumvents FDA's approval process.
Marty Makary, MD, MPH, FDA Commissioner
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Announcing 30 warning letters to telehealth companies for false or misleading claims about compounded GLP-1 products.
FDA.gov · Mar 2026
We do not recommend the use of these alternatives. If you use these compounded alternatives, you may not be getting what you hoped for. You may also get something you did not want (other active substances have been found in some compounded versions).
Obesity Medicine Association, Joint statement with The Obesity Society & Obesity Action Coalition
OMA / TOS / OAC
Joint patient-facing statement on compounded GLP-1 alternatives not reviewed by the FDA.
Anyone who has an active contraindication for the medication, where they have had an issue, for example, medullary thyroid cancer. If they are actively in a pancreatitis flare, obviously, you wouldn't apply this medication. It's, frankly, contraindicated in those situations.
Keren Zhou, MD, endocrinologist, board-certified in Obesity Medicine
Cleveland Clinic
Who should NOT take GLP-1s, active contraindications.

Quotes are general medical commentary about GLP-1 medications, independently sourced and not solicited by GLP-1 Picks. They are not an endorsement of any provider, our provider scores are set solely by our published methodology.

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Affiliate links, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These are featured partners, prioritized by our affiliate economics, not an editorial "best" ranking. The objective ranking (by methodology score) and full methodology are at glp1picks.com/best.