Pathway · Questions to ask

Ask until the plan makes sense.

Keep these prompts in your notes. Clear answers matter more than a confident sales pitch.

Start with the person and the problem

What problem are we trying to treat?
Ask for the name of the health problem in plain words. Describe what brought you to the visit and what help would mean to you.
Who will write the prescription?
Ask for the full name and Ohio license type of the person who would order the medicine. Use the Ohio checks pathway to look up the record.
What exactly is the medicine?
Get the medicine’s complete name and find out its form: a pill, a shot or something else. Ask whether it comes ready-made or is made to order.
Who makes it and who sends it?
Ask for the pharmacy’s name before agreeing to the plan. Check that name against the state record.

With compounding, a medicine is prepared to fit the needs of one patient.

Why does this medicine need to be made just for me?
As of September 2026, Ohio’s guidance limits pharmacy-made copies of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) after their national shortages ended.
Your needs can justify a copy only when the prescriber decides that changing the medicine makes an important difference for you.
For example, someone allergic to a dye may need a version of the medicine that leaves that dye out.
The prescription must say what difference the change makes; listing your name and the medicine alone is not enough.
A cheaper price does not, by itself, satisfy this rule.
Ask what change you need and why the ready-made medicine will not do.
Which rule allows the pharmacy to use this ingredient?
Retatrutide is a substance being studied for weight loss; it had no U.S. approval as of September 2026.
Cagrilintide, as of September 2026, was another substance without any approved U.S. medicine.
As of September 2026, Ohio’s pharmacy board said neither retatrutide nor cagrilintide may be used in compounding under federal or Ohio law.
If either name comes up, ask what is being offered and why; a made-to-order label does not remove this ban.

What changes would make us revisit the plan?
Ask which unwanted effects to watch for and how to raise a concern. Ask about your other medicines and any pregnancy plans.
Who answers questions between visits?
Get a phone number or another way to reach your pharmacist or the person treating you with questions about the plan.
What follow-up is planned?
As of September 2026, Ohio’s rule for online care requires follow-up care to be provided or recommended.
What will I pay if no medicine is prescribed?
Ask for visit, membership, medicine and test charges to be shown separately. Ask about ongoing charges and cancellation terms.

Can you explain the plan so I can repeat it in my own words?

If an answer is still vague, write down the missing detail and ask again. You do not have to settle every question during the first conversation.

Endnotes for this chapter

Ohio’s rule for medical visits and later care
As of September 2026, the rule requires a review of your health, a treatment plan and later care or a recommendation for it.
Read the official source
The Ohio compounding limits
This board guidance highlights existing law; it is not a new rule.
Read the official source
The pharmacy behind an online order
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a U.S. agency, notes that people getting care online may not know who made their medicine.
Read the official source