The The FDA drug shortage list is the public list of drugs that FDA has determined to be in shortage in the United States. A drug's place on the list changes what compounders are allowed to make. As of November 4, 2026, semaglutide injection and tirzepatide injection are not on the list, and FDA has determined both shortages resolved.
How does the FDA drug shortage list apply to compounded GLP-1 treatment?
The shortage list shaped the rules for compounded GLP-1 drugs while semaglutide and tirzepatide were on it, and its resolution set the rules that apply now. Both injections went into shortage in 2022 because of increased demand. While a drug is on the list, FDA does not consider it commercially available, so the limits on compounding drugs that are essentially copies of it are not applicable. FDA determined the tirzepatide shortage resolved on October 2, 2024, and reached the same decision again on December 19, 2024 after a re-evaluation. It determined the semaglutide shortage resolved on February 21, 2025. The limit in section 503A on essentially copies applies again, along with every other condition of that section, including a valid prescription for an individual patient. On our shelf, Zepbound is an FDA-approved tirzepatide injection and compounded tirzepatide is the compounded option. A provider decides which to prescribe.
What does the drug shortage list mean at the pharmacy?
At the pharmacy, the list switches two rules on and off. For a pharmacy compounding under section 503A, a drug on the list is not considered commercially available, so the restriction on compounding essentially copies regularly or in inordinate amounts is not applicable. All other conditions of section 503A still have to be met. For a 503B outsourcing facility, a drug on the list can be compounded from a bulk drug substance, and the limit on identical or nearly identical copies of an approved drug is lifted. When a drug comes off the list, both rules return. FDA gave compounders set periods to wind down after each GLP-1 shortage was resolved, and the last of those periods ended in May 2025. Our pharmacy network page covers how we choose the pharmacies that fill BrightSide prescriptions.
How can a patient check the FDA drug shortage list?
Anyone can search FDA's drug shortages database by a drug's generic name or active ingredient. Each entry carries a status, either currently in shortage or resolved, and the database also lists discontinuations. Federal law requires the list to give the name of each drug in shortage, the name of each manufacturer, the reason for the shortage and its estimated duration. On November 4, 2026 the database showed no entry for semaglutide injection or tirzepatide injection among current or resolved shortages. Liraglutide injection, another GLP-1 medicine, was listed as currently in shortage. An availability note on a listed drug reflects what the manufacturer reported, and FDA says it is not a determination that the shortage has been resolved. FDA gives a drug resolved status when supply from at least one manufacturer covers total market demand.
| Drug | Status on November 4, 2026 | Key date |
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide injection | Not listed; shortage resolved | Resolved February 21, 2025 |
| Tirzepatide injection | Not listed; shortage resolved | Resolved October 2, 2024, decided again December 19, 2024 |
| Liraglutide injection | Currently in shortage | Listed since July 18, 2023 |
Common questions
Is semaglutide still on the FDA drug shortage list?
No. FDA determined the semaglutide injection shortage resolved on February 21, 2025, after confirming with the manufacturer that its stated availability and manufacturing capacity can meet present and projected national demand. On November 4, 2026, FDA's drug shortages database had no current or resolved entry for semaglutide injection.
Can a pharmacy still compound tirzepatide now that the shortage is resolved?
The rules changed when the shortage was resolved, and compounding for individual patients remains part of federal law. Section 503A allows a state-licensed pharmacy to compound for an identified individual patient on a valid prescription, within its limit on drugs that are essentially copies of a commercially available drug. A provider decides whether a compounded prescription is appropriate.
Related terms
- Enforcement discretion: the wind-down periods FDA gave compounders after each shortage was resolved.
- 503B outsourcing facility: the kind of compounder whose bulk compounding depends most on the list.
- 503A compounding pharmacy: the pharmacy that compounds for a named patient on a prescription.
- Compounded medication: what a compounder makes, on or off the list.
Sources
- FDA, Drug shortages database, checked November 4, 2026: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm
- FDA, FDA clarifies policies for compounders as national GLP-1 supply begins to stabilize, content current as of April 1, 2026: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/fda-clarifies-policies-compounders-national-glp-1-supply-begins-stabilize
- FDA, Compounding when drugs are on FDA's drug shortages list, content current as of August 8, 2025: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-when-drugs-are-fdas-drug-shortages-list
- 21 U.S.C. 356e, Drug shortage list (section 506E of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title21/html/USCODE-2024-title21-chap9-subchapV-partA-sec356e.htm
Compounded medications are not FDA approved. They are prescribed by a licensed clinician and filled by a licensed 503A pharmacy.
