GLP-1 brands are the reason most people learn what LegitScript is. Weight loss is the biggest telehealth category, the most advertised, and the most scrutinised. LegitScript has publicly reported a surge in violative GLP-1 ads, and the platforms tightened with it.
The good news: a GLP-1 program can be certified. The review just runs through four places where weight loss brands tend to cut corners: the pharmacy, the prescribing, the product description and the ads.
What changed for compounded GLP-1s
For most of 2023 and 2024, semaglutide and tirzepatide were on the FDA drug shortage list, which is what let 503A and 503B pharmacies compound them at scale. FDA removed tirzepatide from the list in December 2024 and semaglutide in February 2025, and the transition periods for compounders ran out in 2025.
Compounding didn't become illegal. What changed is the justification. A 503A pharmacy can't routinely compound what's essentially a copy of an approved drug. It needs a prescriber-documented, patient-specific reason the compounded version is clinically different for that patient, such as a dose, form or added ingredient the approved product doesn't offer.
LegitScript's Legal Compliance standard asks whether you're facilitating unapproved drugs. For GLP-1 brands, that question now lands on how your pharmacy compounds, what it's compounding, and how your prescribers document why.
The pharmacy is half your application
Standard 4 (Affiliates and Partners) pulls your pharmacy into your review. Before you apply, get these from every pharmacy that fills your GLP-1 prescriptions:
- Its resident license and a nonresident license in every state you ship to
- Its 503A or 503B status and most recent inspection
- Its own LegitScript certification or NABP accreditation
- Confirmation of the active ingredient it uses. FDA has warned about semaglutide salt forms (sodium and acetate), which aren't the ingredient in the approved products.
If a pharmacy can't answer those in writing, it shouldn't be in your application. Switching pharmacies mid-review costs more time than switching before.
Prescribing: the intake form isn't the evaluation
Standard 7 (Validity of Prescription) asks whether each prescription follows the law of the patient's state. For weight loss that means:
- A prescriber licensed in the patient's state
- An evaluation that meets that state's provider-patient relationship rules. Some states accept asynchronous care, some expect synchronous video for a new patient.
- Screening for contraindications: personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2, pancreatitis, pregnancy, and interacting medications
- Documented BMI and comorbidities that support the indication
- A follow-up and dose-escalation protocol that a physician actually oversees
"Answer 8 questions and get approved in minutes" is a red flag to reviewers because it implies the answer is decided before the clinician looks. We write good faith exam and weight management protocols per state for exactly this reason.
The copy that gets GLP-1 brands stuck
| Don't write | Why it fails | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Generic Ozempic" / "generic Wegovy" | There's no generic. Implies FDA approval the product doesn't have. | "Compounded semaglutide, prescribed when clinically appropriate" |
| "Same active ingredient as Mounjaro" | Equivalence claim a compounded product can't support | "Compounded tirzepatide from a licensed 503A pharmacy" |
| "FDA-approved" for a compounded product | False. Compounded drugs aren't FDA approved. | "Compounded medications are not FDA approved" |
| "Lose 30 lbs in 30 days, guaranteed" | Unsubstantiated result claim (Transparency) | Cite trial data with the source and typical results |
| "No doctor visit needed" | Undercuts prescription validity | "A licensed clinician reviews every request" |
| Brand logos, pen photos of approved products | Trademark and implied equivalence | Your own product photography |
Pricing claims count too. "$99/month" with the medication billed separately is a Transparency problem, not a marketing tactic.
Ads after certification
Certification makes you eligible for Google's prescription drug and telehealth categories and for Meta's restricted health categories. It doesn't pre-approve your ads. Every creative still gets reviewed against the platform's own policy, and weight loss has extra rules on both: no before-and-after images implying unrealistic results, no body-shaming, and restrictions on targeting minors.
Certify every root domain you send ad traffic to. Pointing ads at an uncertified landing domain breaks Standard 9 and can cost you the certification you already have.
GLP-1 LegitScript checklist
Before you pay the $975, every line below should be true.
State rules that trip up GLP-1 brands
The federal picture is the same everywhere. The state picture isn't. The differences that matter most for a weight loss brand:
- Modality for a new patient. Some states allow a store-and-forward questionnaire to establish the relationship; others expect real-time audio-video. Your protocol has to follow the strictest state you list.
- Who can prescribe. Nurse practitioner and PA independence varies. In states with collaborative practice requirements, the collaborating physician's license and agreement belong in your file.
- Corporate practice of medicine. States like California, New York and Texas restrict lay ownership of medical practices. A GLP-1 brand owned by a marketing company needs a PC-MSO structure there.
- Weight loss clinic rules. Some states, Florida among them, have specific requirements for physicians who run weight loss programs, including disclosures and evaluation steps.
Start with our Florida, Texas and California guides.
What this means for your GLP-1 program
A certified GLP-1 brand needs three things that marketing can't fake: licensed prescribers in every state you sell into, state-specific prescribing protocols with a physician behind them, and a pharmacy that can document what it compounds and why. MDside supplies the first two and vets the third. Start with our LegitScript hub or book a call.
Frequently asked questions
Can a compounded GLP-1 brand get LegitScript certified?
Yes, if the pharmacy is properly licensed, prescriptions are valid under each state's law, patient-specific compounding reasons are documented, and the product is never marketed as generic or equivalent to an FDA-approved brand.
Can I say "generic Ozempic" if I'm LegitScript certified?
No. There is no generic semaglutide. That phrase implies FDA approval and equivalence, fails LegitScript's transparency standard and is disapproved by the ad platforms.
Do I need LegitScript to run GLP-1 ads on Meta or Google?
For prescription drug and telehealth ads in the US, yes. Certification makes you eligible; each ad is still reviewed against the platform's own weight loss and health policies.
Does my compounding pharmacy need its own certification?
LegitScript's affiliates standard generally expects partner pharmacies to be certified or accredited themselves, and licensed in every state you ship to.
Is asynchronous GLP-1 prescribing allowed?
It depends on the patient's state. Some states allow asynchronous evaluation for a new patient, others require a synchronous visit. Your protocol has to follow the stricter rule for each state you serve.
Related reading
Sources
- LegitScript: certification standards
- LegitScript: process and pricing
- FDA: concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss
- LegitScript: GLP-1 violative advertising data
Certify your GLP-1 program the right way.
Licensed prescribers, state protocols and vetted pharmacies, before you pay the fee.