Compounded vs Brand GLP-1: 12-Month Cost Projector
The FDA’s crackdown on compounded GLP-1s means many cash-pay patients are being moved onto brand-name pricing. This projector models that switch: pick your medication and the month you might be forced to change, and see what it does to your out-of-pocket over a full year — using live US prices.
Compounded vs brand: your 12-month cost
If you’re moved off a compounded GLP-1 onto the brand, how much more do you pay over a year? Pick your medication and the month you might be switched. Uses current median monthly cash prices (as of June 2026), held constant — a what-if on today’s prices, not a forecast.
Switching at month 6 costs you $576 more over the year than staying on compounded. A full year on the brand instead of compounded carries a $1,152 premium.
Next: see your full route ranking in the cost calculator, track where prices go in the GLP-1 Price Index, and understand the compounding crackdown that drives these switches.
Median advertised cash prices for the medication only, held constant across the year — not a price forecast, a quote, or medical advice. Compounded providers may add membership or visit fees; confirm all-in cost before switching. See our methodology.
How this projection works
- We take the current median monthly cash price for the compounded and brand-name versions of your drug, drawn from the live prices behind our GLP-1 Price Index, and hold them constant across the 12 months. It is a what-if on today’s prices, not a forecast of where prices go.
- The “switch month” is when you move from compounded to brand. Your 12-month total is compounded months at the compounded price plus the rest at the brand price.
- We show the medication price. Some compounded providers add a membership or visit fee; confirm the all-in cost before deciding.
- Figures are advertised cash prices — an estimate, not a quote, and not medical advice.
Related: the full cost calculator, the price index, the compounding crackdown tracker, and our full cost & access guides.