GLP-1 Cost Calculator

Why Costs Change During Treatment

GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide follow FDA-approved titration schedules. You start at a low dose to minimize side effects, then gradually increase to your maintenance dose. Some providers charge the same price regardless of dose (flat-rate), while others increase pricing as your dose goes up (dose-escalated).

Semaglutide Titration (16 weeks)

Wegovy follows a 16-week titration: 0.25mg → 0.5mg → 1mg → 1.7mg → 2.4mg maintenance. Each dose level lasts 4 weeks, allowing your body to adjust before increasing.

Tirzepatide Titration (20 weeks)

Zepbound has a longer titration: 2.5mg → 5mg → 7.5mg → 10mg → 12.5mg → 15mg maximum. You can maintain at 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg depending on your response and tolerance.

Flat-Rate vs. Dose-Escalated Pricing

Flat-rate providers (like Remedy Meds, ShedRx) charge the same monthly price regardless of your dose. This makes budgeting predictable but may cost more during titration.

Dose-escalated providers (like LillyDirect) charge more as your dose increases. This means lower costs early on but higher costs at maintenance doses.

Compounded vs. Brand-Name

Brand-name medications (Wegovy, Zepbound) are FDA-approved and made by the original manufacturers. They're more expensive but offer guaranteed quality.

Compounded medications are prepared by licensed pharmacies using the same active ingredients. They're significantly cheaper but have not undergone FDA evaluation.