A medical weight loss clinic is a practice where a licensed clinician evaluates weight-related health and can prescribe and monitor weight loss medicine.
- License lookups
- Every state medical board runs one; directory at the Federation of State Medical Boards [1]
- Compounded GLP-1 problem reports
- 990 for semaglutide and over 730 for tirzepatide reported to FDA as of May 31, 2026 [4]
- Brand drug floor price
- $149 a month self-pay for the Wegovy pill 1.5 mg, checked Oct 17, 2026 [5]
- City guides
- 50 cities in 24 states and Washington DC, listed by state on this page
Where people find GLP-1 care locally
- Your primary care clinician. Often the cheapest route if your insurance covers the visit, and they already know your history.
- Obesity medicine or endocrinology clinics inside hospital health systems. Our city guides name local systems where we could confirm them.
- Bariatric surgery programs, if surgery is something you want to discuss alongside medicine.
- Independent medical weight loss clinics and med spas. Ask who the prescriber is and whether the drug is brand or compounded.
- Online programs, which work from home in most states. See online GLP-1 programs compared.
Six checks before you pay a clinic
- Look up the prescriber. Get the full name of the clinician who will write the prescription, then search it on your state medical board site. Confirm the license is active and read any public actions listed.
- Name the drug. Is it Zepbound, Wegovy, Foundayo, or a compounded drug? Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved, and FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality [4].
- Name the pharmacy. Ask which pharmacy fills the order, then check its license with your state board of pharmacy (NABP lists every board) [6].
- Expect real screening. A clinician should ask about thyroid cancer in you or your family (a label contraindication), pregnancy plans, past pancreatitis or gallbladder disease, and whether you take insulin or a sulfonylurea, which raise the risk of low blood sugar [7].
- Get the price at your maintenance dose. Brand prices rise with dose: Zepbound runs $299 at 2.5 mg and $449 at 7.5 mg and up on LillyDirect [8].
- Read the cancellation terms. Billing and refund complaints come up again and again in our provider reviews.
What a real program looks like, and what a weak one looks like
| Item | What good looks like | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Prescriber | A named clinician you can look up on the state board site | No name given, or only "our doctors" |
| Drug | Brand product with its FDA label, or a compounded drug clearly described as not FDA-approved | "Generic Zepbound" or "Contains the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Wegovy": FDA cited both phrases in 2026 warning letters |
| Pharmacy | A named, state-licensed pharmacy | "FDA-approved" or "FDA-licensed" pharmacy: FDA says it does not approve or license any facility |
| Vial label | Names the pharmacy that made the product | The clinic or app brand on the vial, which FDA says implies the brand is the compounder |
| Dosing | Follows the label schedule, with slower steps if side effects are hard | Doses above the label or faster increases |
| Price | Monthly cost at every dose, plus fees, in writing | Only a first-month price shown |
Red flags that mean walk away
- Vials sold "for research use only" or "not for human consumption" with dosing tips. FDA has warned sellers of these products and says their quality is unknown [4]. See research-use-only GLP-1s.
- Semaglutide sodium or semaglutide acetate. FDA says these salt forms are different active ingredients and it knows of no lawful basis for compounding them [4].
- Retatrutide offered as a weight loss shot. FDA says it cannot be used in compounding and has not been found safe and effective for any condition [4].
- Unusually cheap "Ozempic" from an unknown seller. FDA is aware of counterfeit Ozempic in the US [4], and the Justice Department announced charges in a counterfeit Ozempic case on September 29, 2026 [12].
- No prescription or medical review needed.
- Pressure to prepay several months before your first visit.
Find a clinic by city
Each city guide lists local health facts, health systems we could confirm, the state's Medicaid rules for GLP-1s and the state license lookup. City pages carry labeled sponsored placements, which are never endorsements. Cities are grouped by state, with that state's medical board link.
- Arizona: Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson. License lookup: Arizona Medical Board
- California: Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, San Jose. License lookup: Medical Board of California
- Colorado: Denver. License lookup: Colorado Medical Board
- Washington DC: Washington DC. License lookup: District of Columbia Board of Medicine
- Florida: Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, Tampa. License lookup: Florida Board of Medicine
- Georgia: Atlanta. License lookup: Georgia Composite Medical Board
- Illinois: Chicago. License lookup: Illinois State Medical Board (IDFPR)
- Indiana: Indianapolis. License lookup: Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
- Louisiana: New Orleans. License lookup: Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
- Maryland: Baltimore. License lookup: Maryland Board of Physicians
- Massachusetts: Boston. License lookup: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine
- Michigan: Detroit. License lookup: Michigan Board of Medicine
- Minnesota: Minneapolis. License lookup: Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
- Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis. License lookup: Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts
- Nevada: Las Vegas. License lookup: Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners
- New Jersey: New Jersey. License lookup: New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners
- New York: Long Island, New York City. License lookup: New York State Board for Medicine (licensure); discipline by NYS DOH Office of Professional Medical Conduct
- North Carolina: Charlotte, Raleigh. License lookup: North Carolina Medical Board
- Ohio: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus. License lookup: State Medical Board of Ohio
- Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. License lookup: Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine
- Tennessee: Nashville. License lookup: Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners
- Texas: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio. License lookup: Texas Medical Board
- Utah: Salt Lake City. License lookup: Utah Medical Licensing Board (DOPL)
- Virginia: Richmond. License lookup: Virginia Board of Medicine
- Washington: Seattle. License lookup: Washington Medical Commission
No guide for your city yet? Use your state board link from the list, or the FSMB directory [1], and the checks on this page. All city guides live on the cities page.
If there is no clinic near you
Brand makers sell direct once you have a prescription. For Zepbound, your prescriber sends the prescription to LillyDirect Pharmacy, and you choose free home delivery or free pickup at Walmart Pharmacy [8]. For Wegovy, the prescriber sends it to NovoCare Pharmacy, which offers free home delivery, or you use the self-pay offer at a local pharmacy [5]. A clinician still has to prescribe, so an online program can fill that gap. Compare options in tirzepatide online and semaglutide online.
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Brand-only online programs (no FDA letter found)
- Clean
- Price
- $39 first month, then $74 to $149 a month membership, plus medicine (Zepbound KwikPen $299 to $449) [13]
- What you get
- Wegovy pen and pill, Zepbound KwikPen, Foundayo, Ozempic
- FDA record
- No FDA warning letter found as of Oct 17, 2026
- BBB
- Not yet checked
- Note
- Membership and drug are billed separately.
- Clean
- Price
- $299 a month program, medicine and labs extra [14]
- What you get
- Clinician and registered dietitian visits; Zepbound, Wegovy and other approved drugs
- FDA record
- No FDA warning letter found as of Oct 17, 2026
- BBB
- Not yet checked
- Note
- Accepts insurance including Medicare; HSA and FSA eligible.
- Price
- $129 first visit without insurance; $19.99 a month membership [15]
- What you get
- Visits and prescriptions sent to your pharmacy; no compounded drugs
- FDA record
- No FDA warning letter found as of Oct 17, 2026
- BBB
- Not yet checked
- Note
- Medicine and labs are extra.
What you will pay for the medicine
| Medicine | Monthly price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Zepbound (LillyDirect) | $299 to $449 | [8] |
| Wegovy pen (NovoCare) | $199 intro for two fills, then $349 | [5] |
| Wegovy pill (NovoCare) | $149 to $299 | [5] |
| Foundayo (LillyDirect) | $149 to $299 | [16] |
Safety first
Severe stomach pain that will not go away can be a sign of pancreatitis; stop the medicine and call your clinician [7]. Swelling of the face or throat or trouble breathing needs emergency care. Call 911 in an emergency.
Questions people ask
How do I find a legitimate weight loss doctor near me?
Get the prescriber's full name and search it on your state medical board's license lookup; the Federation of State Medical Boards lists every board [1]. Then confirm the drug (brand or compounded) and the pharmacy, and get the monthly price in writing.
What is a red flag at a weight loss clinic?
Are GLP-1 shots at med spas safe?
It depends on what is in the syringe and who prescribed it. If the product is compounded, it is not FDA-approved and FDA does not review it for safety, effectiveness or quality; FDA has also received reports of dosing errors, some needing hospital care [4]. Ask for the prescriber's name, the drug and the pharmacy.
Can I get Zepbound or Wegovy without a local clinic?
Does Medicaid cover weight loss clinics' GLP-1 prescriptions?
Only in some states. KFF counted 13 state Medicaid programs covering GLP-1s for obesity in January 2026, and California, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and South Carolina ended that coverage after October 2025 [17].
How much is a GLP-1 at a clinic near me?
What should I bring to a first weight loss visit?
A list of your medicines, especially insulin or a sulfonylurea (these raise low blood sugar risk with GLP-1s), and your family history of thyroid cancer, since GLP-1 labels rule out use with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 [7].
Sources
17 cited
- Contact a state medical board. Federation of State Medical Boards, Oct 17, 2026.
- FDA warns 30 telehealth companies against illegal marketing of compounded GLP-1s. US Food and Drug Administration, Mar 3, 2026.
- FDA sends warning letters over compounded GLP-1 telehealth marketing. Spakinect, Jun 18, 2026.
- FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. US Food and Drug Administration, Oct 1, 2026.
- Wegovy self-pay offer. Novo Nordisk (NovoCare Pharmacy), Oct 17, 2026.
- Boards of pharmacy. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Oct 17, 2026.
- Zepbound prescribing information, 217806 s050. US Food and Drug Administration, Apr 2026.
- Zepbound on LillyDirect. Eli Lilly and Company (LillyDirect), Oct 17, 2026.
- FDA to telehealth companies: what to know when promoting compounded drugs. US Food and Drug Administration, Jun 15, 2026.
- GLP-1 compliance: FDA targets telehealth marketing with 30 new warning letters. National Law Review, Mar 12, 2026.
- Warning letter: Ivim Services LLC dba Ivim. US Food and Drug Administration, Feb 20, 2026.
- Two Indian nationals charged in connection with transnational counterfeit Ozempic scheme. US Department of Justice, Sep 29, 2026.
- Ro weight loss pricing. Ro, Oct 17, 2026.
- Form Health FAQs. Form Health, Oct 17, 2026.
- PlushCare weight loss. PlushCare, Oct 17, 2026.
- Foundayo on LillyDirect. Eli Lilly and Company (LillyDirect), Oct 17, 2026.
- Medicaid coverage of and spending on GLP-1s. KFF, Jan 16, 2026.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own care.