Compounded Oral Tirzepatide for Weight Loss

Tirzepatide is prescribed to help lower blood sugar for type II diabetics and as a weight loss aide.¹ 

Compounded tirzepatide tablets should be used as directed by package instructions and your medical provider. The sublingual dissolvable tablets are meant to be taken daily under the tongue.²

Compounded tirzepatide is legal. The FDA audits compounding pharmacies to ensure health and safety compliance.³

Dosing will vary among individuals depending on the provider’s prescription. RedBox Rx offers compounded tirzepatide dissolving tablets in 3 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg and 6 mg daily doses.

Weight loss can vary among patients. Some notice weight loss right away, others can take one month or more. Consistency is important. Continue to take as directed and your provider will adjust your dose as needed to promote optimal weight loss tailored to your clinical needs. On average, 1-2 pounds per week (or 6-8 pounds per month) of weight loss is typically considered safe. That said, individual targets may vary and should be discussed with your weight management clinician.

Compounded tirzepatide tablets require a prescription from a licensed provider. RedBox Rx offers tirzepatide prescriptions for eligible candidates. Start an online assessment to see if you qualify.

If prescribed with RedBox Rx, compounded tirzepatide tablets are $397 per month – no intro pricing and no cost increase based on dosage. This includes everything – your monthly medication supply as well as unlimited provider follow-ups through messaging or video.

The $397 per month compounded tirzepatide tablets subscription from RedBox Rx includes everything – your monthly medication supply and unlimited provider follow-ups through messaging or video. You also get one comprehensive metabolic panel (to be completed in the first two months) and one 30-minute one-on-one dietitian discovery session through our parent company Hy-Vee’s dietitian services.

Mounjaro and Zepbound are injectable medications with tirzepatide as the active ingredient. They are administered once weekly.⁴ Compounded tirzepatide tablets contain the same active ingredient in a dissolving oral tablet form. The tablets are taken once daily.

Both compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide belong to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Tirzepatide is also a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).

The medications mimic naturally occurring hormones released in the gastrointestinal tract in response to eating. They help the body to stimulate insulin production, decrease blood sugar and slow digestion.

In clinical trials, tirzepatide resulted in a higher percentage of body weight lost (17.8%) than semaglutide (12.4%) after 72 weeks. However, more side effects were reported with tirzepatide than with semaglutide.⁵

The method of administration is the main difference between compounded tirzepatide injections and compounded tirzepatide tablets. The injections are administered once weekly with a subcutaneous (under the skin) shot. Tablets are taken daily and dissolve under the tongue.

With RedBox Rx, one comprehensive metabolic panel to be completed at a Quest Diagnostics lab location is included with the monthly prescription costs. During your first consultation, your provider will order one metabolic panel for you. The test needs to be completed within 60 days to avoid disruption in eligibility for the program.

If done ahead of your first refill visit, you may be eligible to receive a stronger dose. Your provider will customize your medication plan based on the lab results. If there is a need for a separate lab facility, please let your clinician know. If you’ve had labs done previously, you can submit them to the clinician. For any questions related to labs, please contact our customer service team at (979) 315-1012.

RedBox Rx can prescribe compounded tirzepatide tablets in most states. They are currently not available in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, New Hampshire, South Dakota or Utah. Compounded tirzepatide injections can be prescribed in all states except Louisiana and Mississippi.

Eligibility for a tirzepatide tablet prescription is determined by licensed providers with RedBox Rx.

General requirements for patients include:

• Are 18 to 75 years of age.

• Have BMI greater than 27 if not already taking a GLP-1 medication.

• Are not pregnant or currently breastfeeding.

As part of program eligibility, the patient’s health history is an important factor in qualifying for this program. Patients will be asked to complete an online intake assessment that will be reviewed by a medical provider to ultimately determine program eligibility.

Always follow your provider’s guidance and the instructions that come with your medication. Compounded tirzepatide is injected, underneath the skin, in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm. Try to use a different body part for each weekly injection.⁸

First, it is important that you get compounded tirzepatide with a state-licensed pharmacy or facility registered with the FDA.⁶

Other precautions to consider:⁷

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to tirzepatide, any other medications or any of the ingredients in tirzepatide injection. Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients.

• Tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

• Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had pancreas or kidney disease; stomach problems, such as difficulty digesting food; or history of diabetic retinopathy.

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking tirzepatide, call your doctor. Birth control pills may not work as well while receiving tirzepatide. Your doctor may suggest you use another type of birth control for four weeks after starting tirzepatide and for four weeks after each dose change.

• Taking tirzepatide with other medicines to treat diabetes like insulin or sulfonylureas may increase your risk of hypoglycemia. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist about low blood sugar and how to manage it.

There are no specific foods to eat or avoid while taking tirzepatide, unless your provider tells you otherwise.⁸ For best weight loss results, compounded tirzepatide can be combined with diet and lifestyle changes.⁹

Tirzepatide is designed to be a long-term treatment for obesity.¹⁰ In studies, the majority of participants regained a significant portion of their lost weight after stopping tirzepatide.¹¹

Common side effects of tirzepatide include:

• Nausea.

• Diarrhea.

• Decreased appetite.

• Vomiting.

• Constipation.

• Upset stomach.

Contact your provider if side effects become too bothersome. 

Always follow the included directions or guidance from your provider to properly store your medications. Keep stored away from reach of children.¹²

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.¹³

Keep all appointments with your doctor.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.¹⁴

There are no brand names of compounded tirzepatide tablets. Compounding pharmacies receive individual prescriptions based on patient needs or to fulfill a drug shortage.¹⁵

Tirzepatide may cause thyroid C-cell tumors. Tell your doctor if you have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or a condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) syndrome (a syndrome that causes tumors to develop on endocrine glands). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain tests to check your body's response to tirzepatide.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with tirzepatide and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) to obtain the Medication Guide.

Talk to your doctor about the risk of taking tirzepatide.¹⁶

1. National Library of Medicine

2. Science Direct

3. Everyday Health

4. Drugs.com

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7. National Library of Medicine

8. National Library of Medicine

9. Cleveland Clinic

10. Forbes.com

11. JAMA

12. National Library of Medicine

13. National Library of Medicine

14. National Library of Medicine

15. FDA

16. National Library of Medicine