The tirzepatide shortage is over. The FDA declared it resolved on December 19, 2024, and Zepbound and Mounjaro are in normal supply. The end of the shortage changed the rules for pharmacies that had been making copies of the branded drug. That is why "is compounded tirzepatide still available" became a common question. It is, under narrower rules that this page explains. Start with our tirzepatide guide if you are new to the drug.
Key takeaways
- The FDA took tirzepatide off its drug shortage list on December 19, 2024, after Eli Lilly's supply caught up with demand.
- During a shortage, federal law lets compounders make products that are close copies of the approved drug. When the shortage ends, that allowance ends too.
- Compounded tirzepatide can still be prescribed when a licensed clinician documents that a patient needs a version the approved products do not offer. The FDA calls this a prescription for an identified patient.
- Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA approved and is not interchangeable with Zepbound or Mounjaro.
- A product sold with no prescription, or labeled for research use, was never a lawful shortage substitute. It is not one now.
Tirzepatide shortage timeline
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2022 | FDA approves Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for type 2 diabetes. NDA 215866. | Mounjaro prescribing information. |
| November 8, 2023 | FDA approves Zepbound (tirzepatide) for chronic weight management. NDA 217806. | FDA press release. |
| December 19, 2024 | FDA declares the tirzepatide shortage resolved. | FDA, Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs. |
| December 20, 2024 | FDA approves Zepbound for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity. | FDA press release. |
Source: FDA press releases for the Zepbound approvals; FDA, FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss; Mounjaro prescribing information.
After Zepbound was approved, demand for tirzepatide outran supply for a stretch. That put the drug on the FDA's shortage list. Lilly expanded its factories. The FDA reviewed the supply data and ruled that the shortage was over. The FDA's GLP-1 concerns page is where the agency explains this and what it means for compounded versions.
Why the shortage mattered for compounding
Under federal law, a state-licensed 503A compounding pharmacy normally cannot make what amounts to a copy of an approved drug that is on the market. There is one exception. When a drug is on the FDA's shortage list, compounders may make it to fill the gap. That exception is why compounded tirzepatide became so easy to find from 2023 into 2024.
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Try the BMI Calculator →When the FDA declared the shortage resolved, the exception closed. The FDA gave compounders a short period to wind down. After that, making a plain copy of Zepbound or Mounjaro was no longer allowed under the shortage rule. That is the event behind headlines that "compounded tirzepatide is going away" and searches for "tirzepatide compound no longer available".
Is compounded tirzepatide still available?
Yes, but not as a shortage substitute. The FDA's compounding questions and answers explain the normal basis for compounding. A licensed prescriber writes a prescription for a named patient. That patient needs a medicine that is not sold as an approved product in the form they need. In practice, a compounded tirzepatide prescription is now written for a patient-specific reason, such as a dose or formula the approved products do not offer. Whether such a reason exists for you is a clinical call. The prescriber makes it, not a website.
What has not changed: compounded tirzepatide is made by state-licensed 503A pharmacies under a prescription. It is not FDA approved. The FDA does not check it for safety, effectiveness or quality. It is not interchangeable with Zepbound or Mounjaro. Our is compounded tirzepatide going away page tracks this question directly.
Two kinds of compounders
Federal law describes two kinds of compounder. The first is the state-licensed 503A pharmacy. It makes medicine for named patients under prescriptions, and its state board of pharmacy oversees it. This is the kind most telehealth programs use, and it is the kind FormBlends uses. The second kind is the outsourcing facility. It can make larger batches without patient-specific prescriptions, and it registers with the FDA. People who search for the second kind plus "tirzepatide" are asking about those facilities. The shortage rule applied to both. When the shortage ended, both lost the shortage basis for copying tirzepatide. The FDA's compounding page describes both kinds.
What "personalized" compounded tirzepatide means
You will see compounded tirzepatide described as "personalized" or "custom". Here is what that should mean, and what it should not.
| Claim | What it should mean | Red flag version |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized dose. | A prescriber chose a dose for you. It is written in the prescription. The approved products do not offer it in that form. | Everyone gets the same "personalized" vial no matter what the assessment says. |
| Custom formula. | An additive or concentration the prescriber chose for a stated reason. It is listed on the vial label. | An additive with no reason given and no amount on the label. |
| Patient-specific prescription. | Your name is on the prescription and on the vial. A licensed clinician reviewed your health first. | No health questions. No prescriber name. A "research use" label. |
Source: FDA, Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers; FDA, FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss.
Tirzepatide availability now
Branded tirzepatide is available by prescription at pharmacies and through Lilly's own LillyDirect self-pay channel. There, Zepbound vials cost $299 a month for 2.5 mg, $399 for 5 mg, $499 for 7.5 mg and $699 for 10, 12.5 and 15 mg. People with commercial insurance that covers Zepbound may pay as little as $25 a month with the savings card. Compounded tirzepatide at FormBlends is $149 for the first month and $239 a month after that, at any dose. See the savings card and alternatives page for the full comparison. A local pharmacy can still run out of one pen strength on a given day. That is a stocking issue, not a shortage.
What this means for compounded tirzepatide
FormBlends still offers compounded tirzepatide where an independent, state-licensed clinician of Recess MD LLC decides it is right for the patient. The medicine is made by state-licensed 503A compounding pharmacies: Greenwich RX in Texas, The DrugStore on East State in Ohio, and Chemistry Rx in Pennsylvania. It ships cold-chain. FormBlends has dispensed to 36 states, based on the last 165 shipped orders as of September 5, 2026. Availability for your address is confirmed during the assessment before any charge. Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA approved and is not interchangeable with Zepbound or Mounjaro. Prices are on the pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still a tirzepatide shortage?
No. The FDA declared the tirzepatide shortage resolved on December 19, 2024. Zepbound and Mounjaro are in normal supply. A single pharmacy can still be out of one pen strength on a given day.
Is tirzepatide still on the shortage list?
No. It came off the list when the FDA declared the shortage resolved in December 2024. The FDA's GLP-1 concerns page discusses the resolution and what it means for compounded products.
Can a 503A pharmacy still compound tirzepatide?
Yes, for a named patient under a prescription that documents a need the approved products do not meet, as the FDA's compounding questions and answers describe. It can no longer make plain copies of Zepbound or Mounjaro under the shortage exception.
What about outsourcing facilities and tirzepatide?
Outsourcing facilities are the second kind of compounder under federal law. They also lost the shortage basis for making tirzepatide copies when the shortage ended. FormBlends does not use them. Its pharmacies are state-licensed 503A compounding pharmacies.
Is compounded tirzepatide going away?
The shortage-era version, mass copies of the branded product, has already gone away. Patient-specific compounded tirzepatide is still available where a licensed clinician decides it is right for you. It is not FDA approved and is not interchangeable with Zepbound or Mounjaro.
Sources
- FDA's Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- FDA Approves New Medication for Chronic Weight Management, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, November 8, 2023.
- FDA Approves First Medication for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, December 20, 2024.
- Mounjaro prescribing information, DailyMed, revised 08/2026.
- Zepbound prescribing information, DailyMed, revised 08/2026.
Next steps
For how to vet a compounding pharmacy today, read is compounded tirzepatide safe. Browse the tirzepatide hub for every other tirzepatide question. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting or changing any medication. Compounded tirzepatide is not FDA approved and is not interchangeable with Zepbound or Mounjaro; a licensed provider decides whether it is appropriate for you.
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