It is a small needle, and it goes into fat, not muscle.

New provider reviews

Offers and terms checked October 15, 2026; no numerical care-quality ratings.

• MaxLife review: the starter price and the notice needed to cancel

  MaxLife advertises semaglutide from $89 and tirzepatide from $120. Review the starter-plan limits, pharmacy disclosures and thirty-day cancellation requirement.

  Updated 2026-10-15

• LumiMeds review: flat-rate headlines and conflicting cancellation terms

  LumiMeds advertises $89 semaglutide and $125 tirzepatide. Examine the membership obligation, $100 cancellation fee, pharmacy cutoff and dated FDA letter.

  Updated 2026-10-15

Start with the basics

1. Understand the dose ladderNobody starts on a full dose. You climb over months, and the first weeks are deliberately gentle. How the ladder works →
2. Know what the rough weeks look likeMost trouble clusters in the fortnight after each increase, then eases. Week by week →
3. Pick a programme that does not punish you for slowing downSome charge more at every rung. A flat rate means staying put for a month is free. See the ranking →

Tirzepatide programmes compared

Scored on cost, price honesty, clinical support, pharmacy sourcing and how easy it is to leave. The “dose-price” column is the one beginners should look at first.

See what everyone charges →

Semaglutide programmes compared

Using the shot

• Your first injection

  What actually happens, step by step. It is a very small needle and it goes into fat, not muscle.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• The dose ladder

  Why you start low, how fast you climb, and why the price of each rung matters more than people expect.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Side effects, week by week

  What most people get, when it usually settles, and the signs that mean stop and call someone.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Missed doses, storage and travel

  The practical questions nobody covers in the welcome email.

  Updated 2026-09-18

Finding the right programme

• Best programmes if this is your first time

  Ranked on how they price the dose ladder and how reachable support is — the two things that decide whether a beginner stays on treatment.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Best programmes for actual support

  Most people who quit do it in the first eight weeks. Ranked on who answers when side effects arrive.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• The cheapest weekly shots

  Every programme sorted on what leaves your account each month, with membership fees counted and teaser rates ignored.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• The best GLP-1 programmes

  Every provider we track, scored on the same five weighted criteria, whichever medication they dispense.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Flat pricing at every dose

  Programmes where the price does not rise as your dose does — which matters more over a year than most advertised discounts.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• No commitment required

  Month-to-month programmes you can leave without forfeiting a prepaid block or a twelve-month contract.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• If you will not inject

  Two FDA-approved pills launched in 2026, plus the compounded providers offering tablets and sublingual drops.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Best GLP-1s if you are over 60

  Clinical support and Medicare eligibility matter far more at this age than the lowest monthly price. Ranked accordingly.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Best if this is your first time

  Ranked on the two things that decide whether a first course succeeds: reachable clinical support and a price that does not punish you for going slowly.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tirzepatide 2.5 mg: what it costs

  Step 1 of the tirzepatide ladder, around weeks 1-4. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tirzepatide 5 mg: what it costs

  Step 2 of the tirzepatide ladder, around weeks 5-8. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tirzepatide 7.5 mg: what it costs

  Step 3 of the tirzepatide ladder, around weeks 9-12. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tirzepatide 10 mg: what it costs

  Step 4 of the tirzepatide ladder, around weeks 13-16. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tirzepatide 12.5 mg: what it costs

  Step 5 of the tirzepatide ladder, around weeks 17-20. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tirzepatide 15 mg: what it costs

  Step 6 of the tirzepatide ladder, around weeks 21+. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Semaglutide 0.25 mg: what it costs

  Step 1 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 1-4. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Semaglutide 0.5 mg: what it costs

  Step 2 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 5-8. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Semaglutide 1 mg: what it costs

  Step 3 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 9-12. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Semaglutide 1.7 mg: what it costs

  Step 4 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 13-16. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Semaglutide 2.4 mg: what it costs

  Step 5 of the semaglutide ladder, around weeks 17+. 6 providers charge the same here as at the starting dose — the rest may not.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage by state

  Only 13 state Medicaid programmes cover GLP-1s for obesity. Four dropped coverage in the last year. Here is the national picture and where it changed.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage in California

  Medicaid no longer covers GLP-1s for obesity here. What that means, the indications that are still mandatory, and what it costs if you pay cash.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage in North Carolina

  Medicaid coverage was dropped and then restored. What that means, the indications that are still mandatory, and what it costs if you pay cash.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage in West Virginia

  Notable for its obesity prevalence rather than its coverage rules. What that means, the indications that are still mandatory, and what it costs if you pay cash.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage in Colorado

  Notable for its obesity prevalence rather than its coverage rules. What that means, the indications that are still mandatory, and what it costs if you pay cash.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage in Michigan

  Medicaid does cover GLP-1s for obesity here. What that means, the indications that are still mandatory, and what it costs if you pay cash.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• GLP-1 coverage in Tennessee

  Medicaid does cover GLP-1s for obesity here. What that means, the indications that are still mandatory, and what it costs if you pay cash.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• The pharmacies behind the prescriptions

  The pharmacy is the part that is actually regulated — and most providers will not name theirs. Here are the ones that have been named publicly.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Belmar Pharmacy

  503A compounding pharmacy in Wichita, Kansas, shipping to all 50 states. Named publicly by PlexusDx. What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Strive Pharmacy

  PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy, licensed across multiple states. Named publicly by PlexusDx. What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Epiq Scripts

  Digital mail-order compounding pharmacy licensed in 45 states plus Puerto Rico and DC. Named publicly by PlexusDx. What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• VialsRx

  State-licensed 503A pharmacy with a published Texas Board of Pharmacy licence number. Named publicly by Trimi. What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Empower Pharmacy

  Large Houston compounder running both a 503A pharmacy and a 503B outsourcing facility. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Hallandale Pharmacy

  503A compounding pharmacy in Florida with extensive telehealth partnerships. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Olympia Pharmacy

  503B outsourcing facility in Orlando, Florida. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• ReviveRX

  Houston 503A compounding pharmacy built around prescriber partnerships, shipping to 45 states. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• BPI Labs

  503B outsourcing facility in Largo, Florida. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Tailor Made Compounding

  503A compounding pharmacy in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Pavilion Compounding Pharmacy

  503A compounding pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• APS Pharmacy

  503A sterile compounding pharmacy in Palm Harbor, Florida, operating as Drug Depot, Inc. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Wells Pharmacy Network

  Multi-site network running a 503A pharmacy in Florida and a 503B outsourcing facility in Tennessee. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

• Asteria Health

  503B outsourcing facility in Birmingham, Alabama, operating as FH Investments Inc. Named publicly by . What is checkable, and how to check it.

  Updated 2026-09-18

Prices verified 2026-09-18.