Home Glossary
Tirzepatide Glossary
The terms that appear on pricing pages and pharmacy disclosures, defined plainly.
Terms A to Z
Tirzepatide
A once-weekly injectable that agonises both the GIP and GLP-1 receptors. Sold as Zepbound for chronic weight management and obstructive sleep apnea, and as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes.
GIP receptor
Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor. The second target that distinguishes tirzepatide from semaglutide; it contributes central appetite signaling and adipose insulin sensitisation.
GLP-1 receptor
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor. Agonism slows gastric emptying, increases satiety and stimulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion.
Titration
The scheduled stepwise increase in dose — for tirzepatide, 2.5 mg increments no sooner than every four weeks — used to build gastrointestinal tolerance.
Maintenance dose
The dose you stay on once escalation stops. For tirzepatide this is most often 7.5–12.5 mg.
Flat-rate pricing
One monthly price at every dose tier. Removes titration from your budget.
Dose-scaled pricing
A price that increases as your prescribed dose increases. The most common cause of unexpected cost growth in months three to six.
Membership stacking
Charging a recurring platform, coaching or membership fee separately from the medication price, so the advertised number understates the true monthly cost.
503A pharmacy
A state-licensed compounding pharmacy that prepares medication for an identified individual patient pursuant to a valid prescription.
503B outsourcing facility
An FDA-registered compounder that may produce batches without patient-specific prescriptions and is subject to current good manufacturing practice requirements.
Beyond-use date
The date after which a compounded preparation should not be used, set by the compounding pharmacy based on its own stability data — distinct from a manufacturer expiry date.
Cold chain
The unbroken refrigerated handling required from pharmacy to patient. Tirzepatide is stored at 36–46°F and must never be frozen.
Food noise
The intrusive, repetitive mental preoccupation with eating that GLP-1 and dual agonists commonly quiet, often within the first two weeks.
Telogen effluvium
Temporary diffuse hair shedding triggered by rapid weight loss rather than by the drug itself; typically self-limiting.
MACE-3
A composite cardiovascular trial endpoint: cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke.
LegitScript certification
A third-party audit used by Google and major payment processors to screen healthcare advertisers. Not legally required, but independent evidence of compliance.
Prior authorisation
An insurer requirement that a prescriber justify a medication against plan criteria before coverage applies.
Compounded medication
A medication prepared by a pharmacy rather than a manufacturer. Not FDA-approved and not reviewed by FDA for safety, effectiveness or quality.
Primary sources
Clinical, dosing and regulatory statements on this page rest on the documents below. Links go to the publisher, not to a summary of it. Prices are not sourced here — they carry a verification date instead, and the reason is set out in the source ledger.
- ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) full prescribing information — DailyMed, US National Library of Medicine. Dose ladder, contraindications, warnings, storage.
- FDA’s concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss — US Food and Drug Administration. Compounded GLP-1 risks, API import alert, cold-chain complaints.
- FD&C Act provisions that apply to human drug compounding — US Food and Drug Administration. Why a compounded preparation is lawful without being FDA-approved.
- Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1) — N Engl J Med 2022;387:205-216. Registration NCT04184622. The weight-reduction and adverse-event figures used across this site.
- The full source ledger — every primary source, what it supports, the date we read it, and the claims we deliberately do not source.