Found Weight Loss prescribes a range of medications tailored to each patient’s health profile, spanning from oral pills to injectable GLP-1 drugs. The platform groups its options into several categories: GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Zepbound), older weight loss pills like phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia) and bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave), and the fat-absorption blocker orlistat (Xenical). Which one you’re prescribed depends on your BMI, medical history, and how your body responds to treatment.
GLP-1 Injectable Medications
The most talked-about medications in Found’s lineup are the GLP-1 receptor agonists. These are injectable drugs that mimic a gut hormone involved in appetite regulation and blood sugar control. They slow stomach emptying, reduce hunger signals to the brain, and help people eat less without constant willpower battles. Found prescribes both semaglutide (sold as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes) and tirzepatide (sold as Zepbound for weight loss).
Semaglutide and tirzepatide are the most effective weight loss medications currently available. Clinical trials behind Wegovy showed average weight loss of about 15% of body weight, while Zepbound trials demonstrated losses closer to 20%. Both are self-injected once a week using a pen device, and doses are gradually increased over several weeks to reduce side effects. The most common complaints are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain, which tend to be worst during dose increases and improve over time.
Tirzepatide works slightly differently from semaglutide. It activates two hormone receptors instead of one, which is part of why it tends to produce greater weight loss in head-to-head comparisons. Found’s clinicians select between these based on your metabolic profile, insurance coverage, and tolerance.
Oral Prescription Medications
Not everyone starts on an injectable, and not everyone qualifies for one. Found also prescribes several oral medications that have been used for weight management for years.
Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave) combines an antidepressant with a drug originally used for addiction treatment. Together, they target the brain’s reward and hunger pathways. This option is sometimes chosen for people who struggle with cravings or emotional eating. Side effects include nausea, headache, and constipation. It can raise blood pressure, so regular monitoring is needed early in treatment. There’s also a boxed warning about potential mood changes and suicidal thoughts, particularly in younger adults.
Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia) pairs a stimulant-based appetite suppressant with a seizure medication that also reduces appetite. It’s one of the more effective oral options, but it comes with notable cautions: it can increase heart rate and blood pressure, cause insomnia and nervousness, and topiramate raises the risk of birth defects, so it’s not prescribed to anyone who is or could become pregnant.
Orlistat (Xenical) works differently from the others. Instead of acting on your brain, it blocks your gut from absorbing about a third of the fat you eat. The unabsorbed fat passes through your system, which is why the most common side effects are gas, oily stools, and urgent bowel movements. These tend to be worse when you eat high-fat meals. Rare cases of serious liver injury have been reported.
Metformin is another medication Found sometimes prescribes off-label for weight management. It’s primarily a diabetes drug, but it can produce modest weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity, making it useful for patients with prediabetes or insulin resistance contributing to their weight.
How Found Matches You to a Medication
Found uses an initial health assessment to build what it calls a Metabolic Profile. You’ll answer questions about your medical history, current medications, eating patterns, and weight loss goals. Some plans include lab work. A clinician then reviews all of this to determine which medication fits your situation.
The general eligibility thresholds follow standard prescribing guidelines: a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher if you have a weight-related condition like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or sleep apnea. If your BMI doesn’t meet these thresholds, you likely won’t qualify for prescription medication through Found or most other telehealth weight loss platforms.
Your medication can change over time. If you don’t respond well to an oral option or experience side effects that don’t resolve, your provider may switch you to a different class. Some patients start on an oral medication and transition to a GLP-1 injectable later, particularly as insurance coverage or pricing shifts.
Brand-Name vs. Compounded Versions
One important distinction when evaluating any telehealth weight loss service is whether they prescribe FDA-approved brand-name medications or compounded versions. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are made by specialty pharmacies rather than the original manufacturers, and they’ve drawn significant FDA scrutiny. As of mid-2025, the FDA had received over 600 adverse event reports tied to compounded semaglutide and more than 500 linked to compounded tirzepatide. Some compounded products have been found to contain inaccurate labeling or inconsistent doses.
Found has historically offered both brand-name and compounded GLP-1 medications depending on availability and cost. This is worth asking about directly when you sign up, because the regulatory landscape around compounded GLP-1s is changing rapidly. Brand-name versions go through rigorous manufacturing and quality controls. Compounded versions are less expensive but carry more variability in quality, and the FDA has issued warning letters to multiple companies distributing questionable compounded products.
What the Medications Cost Through Found
Found charges a monthly membership fee that covers your consultations with a clinician, ongoing check-ins, and access to their app-based coaching tools. Medication costs are separate and vary dramatically depending on what you’re prescribed. Oral medications like Contrave and Qsymia typically run between $50 and $200 per month, depending on your pharmacy and insurance. GLP-1 injectables are far more expensive: Wegovy and Zepbound can exceed $1,000 per month without insurance, though manufacturer savings programs and insurance coverage can bring that down significantly.
If Found prescribes a compounded GLP-1, the price is usually much lower than the brand-name version. However, insurance almost never covers compounded medications. Whether you pay more for a brand-name drug with potential insurance coverage or less out of pocket for a compounded version depends on your plan and your comfort level with the differences described above.
Common Side Effects Across Medication Types
Gastrointestinal side effects are the most frequent complaint regardless of which medication you take. GLP-1 drugs cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation in a significant portion of users, especially during the first few weeks and after each dose increase. These symptoms usually diminish as your body adjusts. Eating smaller meals and avoiding high-fat or greasy foods helps.
The oral medications each have their own side effect profiles. Contrave is more likely to cause headaches and mood changes. Qsymia can disrupt sleep and cause tingling in your hands and feet. Orlistat’s side effects are almost entirely digestive and directly tied to how much fat you eat.
All prescription weight loss medications are contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Topiramate (in Qsymia) carries a specific birth defect risk, and GLP-1 drugs caused thyroid tumors in animal studies, though the relevance to humans isn’t fully established. Your Found clinician should review your full medical history, including any personal or family history of thyroid cancer or pancreatitis, before prescribing.