Which claims call for a pause?

Does “registered” mean approved?

Pharmacies and drug-making facilities can register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency that oversees US drugs. That registration does not mean FDA has approved the medicines it makes.

A compounded medicine—a custom drug—has no FDA approval, even if it comes from a registered facility.

FDA says calling a custom drug the same as an approved drug can mislead.

Ask: “Is this exact medicine approved, or is the pharmacy only registered?”

Does adding a vitamin change the rules?

A custom medicine may count as a copy if it uses the same main ingredient as a drug already sold. The amount and way of taking it also matter.

Here, “copy” means a made-to-order version. A generic differs because it has approval as a copy of a drug sold under a brand name.

FDA says adding vitamin B12 to a semaglutide injection may still leave it a copy.

For a pharmacy making medicine for a named patient, the person writing the prescription must identify a change that makes a real difference in that patient’s care.

For example, a custom medicine may meet the need of someone allergic to a dye in a ready-made medicine.

A change for that patient’s medical need can put the medicine outside the copy restriction. A lower price does not count.

Federal law limits making these copies repeatedly or in unusually large amounts. It still allows custom medicines that meet the requirements.

Ask the person writing the prescription: “What change in this medicine matters for my medical need? Why does adding the vitamin make a difference for me?”

On September 26, 2026, FDA’s national shortage list contained neither semaglutide injections nor tirzepatide injections.

One pharmacy running out of a medicine does not prove a nationwide shortage.

What if I cannot identify the pharmacy?

FDA has found false names on custom semaglutide and tirzepatide labels. Some named pharmacies did not exist.

A pharmacy sending medicine from another state into Arizona needs an Arizona permit. A current permit to operate as a pharmacy, or equivalent permission, is also required in its home state.

The Arizona permit checks the pharmacy’s permission to operate. The exact custom medicine must still meet the separate federal drug rules.

Ask for the pharmacy’s full name and both permit numbers. Ask the Arizona Pharmacy Board to help you check them.