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GLP-1 Weight Loss Injections
Compounded GLP-1 injections — semaglutide and tirzepatide — are physician-prescribed, 503A-compounded medications available online through Protocol MD in all 50 states. A US-licensed physician reviews your intake and decides whether treatment is appropriate for you. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not the same as the brand-name versions.
Same price at every dose
Your dose may change over time. What you pay does not — no dose-based pricing, no upcharge when you move up.
Semaglutide
$135/mo
Tirzepatide
$229/mo
What is a compounded GLP-1?
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is an incretin hormone involved in appetite and blood-sugar signalling. A GLP-1 receptor agonist acts on those same receptors and is given as a once-weekly injection. Ours is prepared by a US-licensed 503A compounding pharmacy — compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and a physician decides whether treatment is appropriate for you.
What's the difference between compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide?
Semaglutide is a single GLP-1 receptor agonist; tirzepatide acts on two receptors (GIP and GLP-1). Both are once-weekly injections with broadly similar, mostly gastrointestinal side effects. In clinical trials of the brand-name products, tirzepatide produced greater average weight loss, but which is appropriate for you is a physician's decision based on your health history. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Read our full comparison.
How is it taken?
As a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, on the same day each week unless your physician says otherwise. Treatment follows a gradual dose-escalation schedule your physician sets to support tolerance.
How It Works
Physician-prescribed, in three simple steps.
Free assessment, 100% online
Answer a few questions about your health history, lifestyle, and goals through our secure online medical intake. It takes about five minutes.
Physician review & prescription
A US-licensed physician reviews your intake and prescribes GLP-1 only if it's clinically appropriate for you. We place a hold on your card at checkout and charge it only if they prescribe.
Delivered to your door
If prescribed, your medication ships cold-chain and discreetly to your door, with continuous physician oversight and simple refills.
Overview
What Is a GLP-1?
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is an incretin hormone your gut releases after you eat. It's part of the body's own appetite and blood-sugar signalling system — it communicates fullness to the brain, slows how quickly the stomach empties, and supports glucose-dependent insulin release.
A GLP-1 receptor agonist is a medication that acts on those same receptors. It's prescribed as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, and it's used as part of a broader plan alongside nutrition and activity — not as a replacement for them.
Protocol MD's GLP-1 is compounded by a US-licensed 503A pharmacy. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and a US-licensed physician decides whether this treatment is appropriate for you.
If you want to understand your starting point, our free BMI calculator and calorie calculator can help you see where you are today — they're educational tools, and a physician, not a calculator, decides whether treatment is appropriate for you.
Already started and not losing weight on it? A slower start is common and usually has an ordinary explanation — that guide covers what's normal, what the scale can hide, and when to raise it with your physician.
Who It's For
Who a GLP-1 May Be Considered For.
Physician-assessed Weight Management
Adults whose physician determines treatment is clinically appropriate after review.
Alongside Nutrition and Activity
Intended as part of a broader plan, not a standalone substitute for it.
People Who Want Oversight
Ongoing physician review rather than a one-time transaction.
Not for Everyone
Certain histories rule it out entirely — the intake screens for them before any charge.
How GLP-1 works
Borrows a signal your gut already sends.
GLP-1 is an incretin hormone your gut releases after a meal. A GLP-1 receptor agonist acts on those same receptors, but is built to persist for days rather than the couple of minutes the natural hormone survives.
Acts on the GLP-1 receptor
The same receptors your own hormone uses, found in the brain, gut and pancreas, where they are involved in appetite signalling and blood-sugar regulation.
Slows how fast the stomach empties
Food leaves the stomach more gradually. That is part of why fullness after a meal is commonly reported as lasting longer, though how much varies between people.
Given once a week
The molecule resists the enzyme that clears the natural hormone within minutes, so a single injection covers the week. A physician sets the schedule and adjusts it over time.
Why GLP-1
Your own GLP-1 is gone in minutes.
The medication is built to last about a week.
Your own GLP-1 breaks down almost immediately
GLP-1 is a hormone your gut releases after you eat. An enzyme called DPP-4 starts breaking it down straight away, so it survives only a couple of minutes in the blood. That is why the natural hormone cannot work as a medicine on its own.
Source: Deacon CF, Nauck MA, Toft-Nielsen M, Pridal L, Willms B, Holst JJ. Diabetes. 1995;44(9):1126-31.
The medication is redesigned to survive
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 analogue altered so DPP-4 cannot clear it quickly and so it binds to a blood protein that keeps it in circulation. Its half-life is about a week, which is what makes once-weekly dosing possible.
Source: Lau J, Bloch P, Schäffer L, et al. J Med Chem. 2015;58(18):7370-80.
Charts are illustrative representations of published research and of the known properties of a medication class or active ingredient. They may simplify or normalise study data for clarity, describe general biology rather than any individual's result, and are not a prediction or guarantee of an outcome. A reference to a study or mechanism does not establish that any specific medication, formulation or treatment plan produces the same result. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not evaluated by the FDA for safety, quality or effectiveness.
FAQ
Common questions about GLP-1.
What is a compounded GLP-1?
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is an incretin hormone involved in appetite and blood-sugar signalling. A GLP-1 receptor agonist acts on those same receptors and is given as a once-weekly injection. Ours is prepared by a US-licensed 503A compounding pharmacy — compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and a physician decides whether treatment is appropriate for you.
What's the difference between compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide?
Semaglutide is a single GLP-1 receptor agonist; tirzepatide acts on two receptors (GIP and GLP-1). Both are once-weekly injections with broadly similar, mostly gastrointestinal side effects. In clinical trials of the brand-name products, tirzepatide produced greater average weight loss, but which is appropriate for you is a physician's decision based on your health history. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Read our full comparison.
How is it taken?
As a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, on the same day each week unless your physician says otherwise. Treatment follows a gradual dose-escalation schedule your physician sets to support tolerance.
What are the common side effects?
Gastrointestinal effects are the most commonly reported — nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. They're a major reason treatment starts low and escalates gradually. Report any side effects to your physician, and seek medical attention for severe or persistent symptoms such as intense abdominal pain.
Who should not take a GLP-1?
GLP-1 receptor agonists are not appropriate for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2), and they're not for use during pregnancy or while trying to become pregnant. We're also not able to prescribe online for someone with a history of pancreatitis — that needs a direct conversation with a physician rather than an online intake. Our intake screens for all of these before any charge.
How is a compounded GLP-1 prescribed through Protocol MD?
You complete a short online intake, and a US-licensed physician (MD or DO) reviews your history and goals to decide whether a compounded GLP-1 is appropriate — a physician makes the call, never an algorithm. We place a hold on your card at checkout, and if they decide it isn't right for you, the hold is released and you're never charged.
Do I need insurance?
No insurance is required — Protocol MD is cash-pay and transparently priced, with no surprise fees. We provide an itemized receipt you can submit for reimbursement.
Ready to start?
Buy GLP-1 Weight Loss Injections online, physician-prescribed.
Complete your medical intake. A US-licensed physician reviews it and prescribes only if appropriate. We place a hold at checkout and charge it only if a physician prescribes.