You can get weight loss injections through your primary care doctor, a specialist, a telehealth platform, or a weight loss clinic. Any licensed prescriber, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, can write a prescription for GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound). The best option depends on your budget, insurance situation, and how much medical oversight you want.
Your Primary Care Doctor
The simplest starting point is the doctor you already see. Primary care physicians, internists, and family medicine providers can all prescribe weight loss injections, and many are now comfortable doing so. The advantage here is that your doctor already knows your medical history, current medications, and any conditions that could affect treatment. They can order the necessary bloodwork, monitor your progress at regular visits, and adjust your dose over time.
If your primary care provider isn’t experienced with these medications or prefers not to prescribe them, they can refer you to a specialist. Endocrinologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and board-certified obesity medicine specialists all prescribe GLP-1 drugs. Obesity medicine specialists in particular focus on long-term weight management and often work alongside dietitians, psychologists, and exercise physiologists to build a more comprehensive plan.
Telehealth Platforms
Telehealth has become one of the most popular ways to access weight loss injections, especially for people who want a faster path to a prescription or don’t have a local provider. Services like Walgreens Weight Management, Ro, Hims, and others connect you with a doctor or nurse practitioner through a video visit. During the appointment, a provider reviews your medical history, discusses your goals, and determines whether medication is appropriate. If you get a prescription, most platforms schedule monthly follow-ups for the first few months to check your progress and adjust treatment.
Telehealth visits are convenient, but the quality of care varies. Look for platforms that require a video consultation (not just a questionnaire), include follow-up appointments, and use licensed pharmacies to fill prescriptions. Walgreens, for example, offers GLP-1 medications including semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide through its affiliated medical practices. The key question with any telehealth service is whether you’ll have ongoing access to a provider who can manage side effects and modify your plan as your body responds.
Weight Loss Clinics and Med Spas
Dedicated weight loss clinics and medical spas have expanded rapidly to meet demand for these injections. Some are well-run operations with experienced providers. Others cut corners. The level of medical oversight at a med spa is unpredictable. While a doctor or nurse practitioner may sign your prescription, they might not be the person who actually consults with you. Some med spas skip a full review of your medical history, don’t check for underlying conditions contributing to weight gain, and take a one-size-fits-all approach regardless of your individual needs.
The bigger concern is what happens after the first visit. Many med spas lack a clear treatment plan, a defined length of treatment, and education around side effects. They don’t always monitor your progress closely enough to know when a change in medication or dose is needed. If you go this route, ask specific questions before committing: Will the prescriber review your full medical history? Will you have regular check-ins? Is there a plan for what happens if the medication isn’t working or you experience side effects?
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Regardless of where you go, a thorough first appointment should include a physical evaluation, vital signs, blood work, a review of your current diet and exercise habits, and a conversation about your weight loss goals. Lab testing is typically repeated every three months to monitor how your body is responding. Your provider will use these results, along with your health history, to recommend either semaglutide or tirzepatide and start you on a low dose that gradually increases.
After the initial consultation, most providers schedule monthly follow-ups. These visits are where dosing gets adjusted, side effects get addressed, and your overall plan gets fine-tuned. Skipping these check-ins, or working with a provider who doesn’t offer them, means you’re managing a powerful medication largely on your own.
Who Qualifies for a Prescription
FDA-approved weight loss injections aren’t available to everyone who wants them. The eligibility criteria are straightforward: you need a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease. Some med spas prescribe these drugs without confirming whether you actually meet clinical guidelines, which is a red flag rather than a convenience.
Insurance, Cost, and Coverage
Cost is often the deciding factor in where people get their injections. Without insurance, Wegovy runs roughly $1,300 per month and Zepbound about $1,000 to $1,100 per month. With insurance coverage, copays typically drop to $50 to $200 per month, but getting that coverage is not guaranteed.
Many insurance plans require prior authorization before they’ll approve a weight loss injection. Your insurer may not cover the medication unless you have a documented obesity-related health condition like high cholesterol or high blood pressure. A high BMI alone may not be enough. Some employer plans exclude weight loss drugs entirely. And medications like Ozempic, which is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes but widely used off-label for weight loss, usually aren’t covered by insurance unless you have a diabetes diagnosis.
If your insurance denies coverage, your provider can sometimes appeal the decision or switch you to a medication that’s more likely to be approved. Manufacturer savings programs exist but tend to offer only short-term discounts.
Compounding Pharmacies: Lower Cost, Higher Risk
During recent drug shortages, compounding pharmacies began making their own versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide at significantly lower prices. These compounded versions are not FDA-approved. They haven’t gone through the same rigorous review for safety, effectiveness, and quality that brand-name drugs undergo.
The FDA allows compounding pharmacies to produce copies of FDA-approved drugs only when those drugs are on the official shortage list. As supply has stabilized, the FDA has been tightening enforcement. As of spring 2025, the enforcement grace period for state-licensed pharmacies compounding semaglutide injections has ended. Outsourcing facilities operating under a different section of federal law had a slightly longer window, but the FDA has made clear it can still take action against any compounder producing substandard or unsafe products.
If you’re considering a compounded version to save money, understand that you’re trading the assurance of FDA oversight for a lower price. The quality of compounded products varies by pharmacy, and there’s no standardized way for consumers to verify what’s actually in the vial.
How to Verify an Online Pharmacy
If your prescription is being filled online, check that the pharmacy is accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Accredited digital pharmacies meet standards for privacy, prescription authentication, security, quality assurance, and pharmacist consultation. The NABP maintains a public list of accredited pharmacies on its website. If a pharmacy isn’t on that list, or if a website is selling injections without requiring a valid prescription, report it and look elsewhere.