Zepbound (tirzepatide) is an FDA-approved medication for weight management. People need a prescription to buy this medication, and several telemedicine companies offer doctor-led prescription and lifestyle support.
- Ro Body | ongoing support, insurance concierge to help with coverage | Skip to review
- Noom Med | lifestyle and behavioral support | Skip to review
- Plushcare | offers insured and uninsured membership | Skip to review
- Calibrate | offers a 12-month program with ongoing support | Skip to review
- LilyDirect | direct from the manufacturer’s pharmacy | Skip to review
- In-person
You can get Zepbound by going to a healthcare professional in person. While getting Zepbound online may be more convenient than visiting a local clinic or surgery, both options require a valid prescription before you can buy Zepbound at your chosen pharmacy.
At an in-person appointment, a doctor will assess your current health, weight-loss goals, and eligibility for the drug. They may prescribe it only if they think it is safe and medically necessary. A doctor may also discuss alternatives to Zepbound.
Once you have a prescription for the drug, you can pick it up at your preferred pharmacy.
In August 2024, Eli Lilly announced that Zepbound would be available on its online pharmacy, LillyDirect, providing a new Zepbound self-pay option. The Zepbound LillyDirect offers comes in a single-dose vial rather than as an auto-injector pen, also called a Zepbound pen. The vial doses available are 2.5 milligrams (mg) and 5 mg, which is limited compared to the 6 Zepbound pen doses.
Single-dose vials may be less convenient than an auto-injector pen. However, older research comparing the two suggests that people found both methods of drug administration easy to manage.
Eli Lilly also states that vial forms are cheaper than the auto-injector pre-filled pens. It also means you will be better protected against buying counterfeit or compounded Zepbound.
Zepbound in vial form can cost 50% less than auto-injector options and is equal to the savings people without insurance can get with its savings program. According to Eli Lilly:
- a 4-week supply of a single-dose 2.5-mg Zepbound vial costs $99.75 per vial ($399 in total)
- a 4-week supply of a 5-mg dose costs $137.25 per vial ($549 in total)
Zepbound is available for people without insurance through LillyDirect. You must have a Zepbound prescription to use LillyDirect, but the online pharmacy has also partnered with Healthgrades to help you find a suitable healthcare professional to discuss this with.
It does not provide Zepbound for people whose doctors have prescribed it off-label. Off-label means that a doctor prescribes a medication for a reason or at a dose that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved.
Learn more about how to get Zepbound from LillyDirect on the company’s website.
The following table compares the telehealth services in this article on medications, the cost of the program, and any extras they offer.
| Brand | Medications | Cost | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ro Body | • Zepbound • Wegovy • Ozempic | $145 per month | • health coaching • weight loss program • insurance concierge |
| Noom Med | • Zepbound • Wegovy • Saxenda • Ozempic • Mounjaro | $91 per month | • health coaching • weight loss program • food tracking app |
| PlushCare | • Zepbound • Wegovy • Saxenda • Ozempic • Mounjaro | • $129 initial consultation • $19.99 per month | • unlimited messaging • discounts on lab tests |
| Calibrate | • Zepbound • Wegovy • Ozempic • Mounjaro | $99 per month | • personalized video coaching |
Medical News Today carefully vets all the telemedicine companies that appear in our articles. When looking for the best and safest places to buy Zepbound online, we considered:
- Licensed healthcare professionals: All the services provide access to healthcare professionals who are licensed to practice in most states and are able to issue valid prescriptions.
- Ongoing support and care: It is important to have regular check-ins with healthcare professionals when starting a new medication, and all the services in this article provide near-instant access to the clinicians on their platform.
- Insurance coverage: While insurance companies are unlikely to cover weight management programs, we chose telehealth services that will help people navigate their insurance policy to provide as much coverage for medication as possible.
- Medications available: Zepbound may not always be available, especially as there is currently a shortage of tirzepatide, the drug’s main ingredient. We chose telehealth companies that also offer safe and effective alternatives.
A note on compound safety
Healthcare professionals may sometimes recommend other FDA-approved weight management medication, such as Wegovy, or prescribe similar drugs off-label, such as Ozempic or Mounjaro.
Some pharmacies may offer compounded versions of GLP-1 medication. These
Read more about the different types of GLP-1 drugs available for weight management.
It is safe to buy Zepbound online if people use reputable telehealth companies or pharmacies. The FDA states that a
- always require a doctor’s prescription
- provide a physical address and telephone number in the United States
- have a licensed pharmacist on staff to answer questions
- have a license with a state board of pharmacy
The FDA also provides additional warning signs for unsafe online pharmacies:
- medication that looks different, has broken or damaged packaging, and has no expiration date or is expired
- medication in a foreign language
- offers discounts or prices that seem too good to be true
- charges for products people never received or ordered
- does not have a clear and accessible privacy and data collection policy
- sells people’s information to other websites or companies
- A
2025 studyTrusted Source found that nine people who took semaglutide or tirzepatide — the main ingredients in Ozempic and Zepbound, respectively — all experienced vision issues, including potentially blinding eye conditions. There is no causal link, but scientists are investigating. - In 2024, the FDA approved the use of Zepbound for adults with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea to help treat both conditions.
- A study found that people who took Zepbound were more likely to lose more weight than those who took Wegovy. Those who took Zepbound lost an average of 20.2% of their body weight, whereas those who took Wegovy lost 13.7%.
- Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Zepbound, released single-dose vials in 2024, expanding supply.
- A phase 3 study found that Zepbound improves heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in adults with obesity. Trials are continuing.
Pros
- It may be easier for people in more rural locations to access care online.
- Online healthcare may be more accessible for people with chronic health conditions.
- People with busy schedules may find it easier to access online healthcare services.
- Many telehealth companies provide ongoing support and other weight management and lifestyle strategies.
- It is easy to compare prices across different websites, allowing people to find the program that best suits their needs and budget.
Cons
- Many services do not accept insurance and may be more expensive than in-person healthcare.
- People without reliable access to the internet may find it difficult to access online healthcare.
- Some people may find it more difficult to communicate with healthcare professionals online.
According to Zepbound’s manufacturer, people with commercial insurance that covers the medication may be able to pay as little as $25 for a 1-month or 3-month prescription with a savings card.
Those without insurance can also benefit from a Zepbound savings card, paying $550 for a 1-month supply of medication.
People with other types of insurance, such as through government or federal aid, will need to check their insurance policy to determine how much Zepbound will cost.
According to Optum Perks, a free online search engine that provides coupons, one package of four pens in Zepbound’s lowest dose will cost between $1,000 and $1,100, depending on which pharmacy a person uses.
Zepbound is an
Most insurance plans will require prior authorization before agreeing to cover this medication. Healthcare professionals will need to submit this authorization request along with specific codes that depend on each person’s circumstances and why they require the medication. Zepbound’s manufacturer provides detailed information that can help people navigate this process.
Government and federal aid and coverage
If a person is on government or federal aid, such as Medicare or Medicaid, it may be harder to gain insurance coverage for medication costs.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a memo stating that Medicare Part D will cover some anti-obesity drugs if they also have FDA approval to treat diabetes or reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events. This means that while Medicare will most likely not cover Zepbound, it may cover Mounjaro, which contains the same active ingredient, tirzepatide.
Medicaid coverage will differ depending on which state a person lives in. If Zepbound is on that state’s Preferred Drug List (PDL), people can use Medicaid for the drug without prior authorization. Otherwise, they will need to go through the prior authorization process to see if their state’s Medicaid program will help cover the cost.
Some Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans may cover the cost of Zepbound for people who are retired or registered for the medication.
Yes, a person can order Zepbound online through telehealth services.
Many telehealth companies offer weight management programs that provide access to medication alongside other tools for sustainable weight loss. As Zepbound is a prescription medication, all reputable companies will require people to attend a virtual consultation with a healthcare professional.
No, Zepbound is a prescription medication, so it is not possible to buy Zepbound over the counter.
People should avoid companies and pharmacies claiming to sell Zepbound over the counter, as they are very likely selling counterfeit and potentially dangerous medication.
Zepbound and Ozempic both belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1, which can help manage diabetes symptoms and reduce appetite.
The FDA has approved Zepbound for weight management, whereas Ozempic only has FDA approval for diabetes management.
Zepbound is a “dual-agonist drug,” whereas Ozempic is a “single-agonist drug.” Recent evidence suggests that dual-agonist drugs may have greater benefits for weight reduction.
It is unlikely that Medicare will pay for Zepbound.
While CMS has recently released a memo encouraging Medicare Part D to cover anti-obesity medication, it will only do so if the medication can also help manage diabetes symptoms and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Zepbound only has FDA approval for weight management, not diabetes treatment.
It is possible to buy Zepbound online. Many telehealth companies provide access to healthcare professionals who can prescribe Zepbound.
Many insurance companies do not cover healthcare with telemedicine companies, but the services may be able to work with a person’s insurance to provide coverage for medications. Many programs will also provide additional resources, such as coaching and tracking tools.
