How to talk to your prescriber: the question list

Most first visits are short. The questions below are ordered so that if you only get through the first five, you have covered the ones that matter most. Print them or copy them into your phone. The network's Tools and Templates site has a printable visit sheet with space for the answers.

The five that matter most

1. Which product are you prescribing, and is it the FDA-approved brand or a compounded version? If compounded: which pharmacy, in which state, and why compounded rather than brand for me? (See brand versus compounded.)
2. What is my starting dose, and what is the plan for increasing it? The labels start every adult at 0.25 mg semaglutide or 2.5 mg tirzepatide for four weeks (section 2.1). If the plan differs, ask what it is based on.
3. Which of my conditions or medicines did you consider? You are checking that the thyroid, pancreatitis, gallbladder, kidney, mood, pregnancy and insulin or sulfonylurea questions were asked (sections 4 and 5). If one was not, raise it.
4. What symptoms mean I should call you, and how do I reach you? Get a phone number or portal route and an expected response time. Compare their answer with the when to call page, which is built from the Medication Guide.
5. When is my first follow-up, and what will you decide at it? The label expects tolerability to be reviewed before each dose increase; steady state arrives at four to five weeks (section 12.3), so a check-in around then is usual.

About the medicine

6. What do I do if I miss a dose? (Wegovy: take it if the next dose is more than 48 hours away, otherwise skip; Zepbound: take within 4 days, otherwise skip; section 2.)
7. Can I change my injection day, and how far apart must two doses be? (Wegovy at least 2 days; Zepbound at least 3 days.)
8. How should I store it, and how long can it be out of the refrigerator?
9. If I am on a vial rather than a pen: what is the concentration, how many units is my dose, and can you or the pharmacist watch me draw it up the first time?
10. What happens if I cannot tolerate a step? (The labels allow holding a dose for another four weeks or dropping back; ask how they handle it.)

About me

11. Do I need labs before I start, and which ones? (No label requires a panel; see how a prescriber decides and the Lab Guide.)
12. I take [insulin / a sulfonylurea / a medicine with a narrow dose range]: does anything need adjusting? (Section 5.4 and section 7.)
13. I use oral contraceptive pills: does tirzepatide change what I should do? (Zepbound section 7.1: switch to a non-oral method or add a barrier method for four weeks after starting and after each increase.)
14. I am planning a pregnancy in the next year: how far in advance should I stop? (Wegovy section 8.1: at least two months before.)
15. I have a procedure or surgery coming up: do I need to tell the anesthesia team, and should I pause the drug? (The labels warn about aspiration under general anesthesia or deep sedation and say to inform the procedure team.)
16. I have a history of depression or an eating disorder: how will we monitor mood? (Wegovy section 5.9; Zepbound section 5.8.)

About the plan

17. What weight change is realistic for me, and over what time? A careful answer will quote trial averages and say they are averages. The when weight change starts page has the numbers to compare against.
18. What are you expecting me to do about food and activity while on it? Every label says the drug is used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
19. What is the plan for stopping, and what happens to weight then? The published extension data are on the myths page.
20. What will this cost me per month, all in, including visits, labs and shipping, and what changes at each dose step? Take the answer to the Pricing Index and see if it matches.

Two habits that make every later visit better

Keep a one-line log per week: date, dose, site, worst symptom, fluids. And write down the answer to question 4 somewhere you will find it when you feel unwell.