Affordable weight loss medication

Sterile compounding pharmacies to the rescue

Sterile compounding pharmacies, a highly specialized type of pharmacy that can create injectable medications from scratch, may have the solution to a national crisis. 

An old FDA regulation, however may provide hope to the millions of individuals struggling to find and afford this new medication class.  Under this regulation, pharmacies are allowed to create custom versions of medications that are listed as a “drug shortage.”  As the GLP-1 medications are under shortage, sterile compounding pharmacies are selling custom versions of popular weight loss medications for 1/3rd of the price charged at traditional pharmacies. 

With skyrocketing obesity rates across the US, doctors  are desperate for a solution.  Research has now demonstrated what many individuals knew: diet and exercise alone are not an effective way to reduce body weight over the long term.  Recently, however a class of medications, the so-called GLP-1 agonists have proven to be an effective means of long term weight loss.  As might be expected, however, pharmaceutical companies have been unable to keep up with demand, even with cash prices often exceeding $1,000/month. 

Big Tree Medical, a national concierge-medicine group, is working with several sterile compounding pharmacies to get patients access to this new class of medication.  For $55/month, individuals can get a virtual Big Tree membership with allows them to get personalized medical advice and, when appropriate, a prescription for medication such as a custom GLP-1 agonist.  For more information, click here. 

Medication for weight loss is generally indicated for patients with a Body Mass Index over 30mg/kg2 or above 27mg/kg2 with certain risk factors.