Plain start · sort before choosing
Three products can share one name
An ad, a prescription, and a research website can use the same compound name. The name alone does not settle what is being offered.
Picture this
Suppose two pages mention semaglutide, the medicine inside Ozempic and Wegovy. One points to an approved product. One offers a custom-made version. A third page may use “research only” language while hinting at human use.
Approved
The FDA has reviewed one exact product for specific uses. Approval does not automatically apply to every product with the same ingredient name.
Compounded
A compounded drug can be made for one patient’s particular need, but it remains unapproved. An ordinary compounding pharmacy prepares it for a single patient, by name, on that person’s prescription. A bigger business called an outsourcing facility, registered with the FDA, may make large batches of sterile (germ-free) medicine, often for clinics and hospitals, without your name on a prescription.
Research use only
In FDA warning letters, a “research use only” label carries no weight once the website makes clear the product is meant to be injected by people. A website that sells a product with mixing water, dosing guides, or claims about treating people is a seller to walk away from.
These legal distinctions were checked as of September 2026.
Next in the guideBring the search back to California