If you live in Louisiana and are researching compounded GLP-1 medications, this page is meant to save you some digging. It covers how access works in the state, what Louisiana’s medical and pharmacy regulators have actually said about telehealth prescribing and compounded GLP-1s, what compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide cost, and how several providers serving Louisiana compare on published cash prices. Everything here is drawn from public sources, with links, so you can check our work.
One disclosure up front: this site is operated by Gentle Health, a telehealth provider offering compounded GLP-1 treatment for weight management. Gentle Health appears in the comparison table below on the same terms as every other provider listed.
How compounded GLP-1 access works in Louisiana
This is newer in Louisiana than most people realize. Until this year, state rules effectively required an in-person visit before medications for weight management could be prescribed. A change in state law that took effect in May 2026, Senate Bill 30 of the 2026 Regular Session, lifted that restriction, allowing GLP-1 prescriptions through telehealth consultations (LexisNexis Capitol Journal, June 2026); the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Patrick McMath, pointed to Louisiana’s obesity rate, third highest in the nation at about 40% of adults per CDC data, as the reason access needed to widen (KTBS coverage, June 2026).
With that change, Louisiana does not require an in-person clinic visit before a physician can evaluate you and, where appropriate, prescribe a non-controlled medication like a GLP-1. State law holds telemedicine to the same standard of care as an office visit, and a 2016 statute (HB 570) removed the old requirement that telemedicine physicians keep an office in the state or contract with in-state providers. What Louisiana does insist on is licensure: a physician treating Louisiana patients must hold either a full Louisiana medical license or a telemedicine permit from the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
Here is what that looks like in practice for a Gentle Health patient in Louisiana:
- Complete a medical intake. You answer questions about your health history, current medications, and goals - the information a physician needs to decide whether a GLP-1 is appropriate for you.
- Physician review. Your intake is reviewed by James Simmons, MD, who is licensed to practice in Louisiana through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (license 353696, state board record). Louisiana adopted the Compact by statute in 2020 (La. R.S. 37:1310.1), creating an expedited path for qualified physicians licensed in other Compact states to obtain a full Louisiana license. Dr. Simmons evaluates every Louisiana patient individually; not everyone who applies is approved.
- Prescription and fulfillment. If Dr. Simmons determines treatment is appropriate, the prescription goes to a licensed compounding pharmacy, and the medication ships to your home anywhere in Louisiana, from Shreveport to Chalmette.
- Ongoing care. Dosing is adjusted over time based on how you respond, and you can reach Dr. Simmons with questions between check-ins.
The practical upshot: a patient in Winnfield or Ville Platte has the same access as a patient in uptown New Orleans. No referral, no waiting room, no ninety-minute drive on I-49.
Eligibility details and license verification for Louisiana are on our Louisiana page. Whether a Louisiana patient begins with an asynchronous review or a scheduled video visit is covered in how our initial prescribing process varies by state.
Louisiana rules worth knowing
Two regulators shape how compounded GLP-1s reach Louisiana patients: the State Board of Medical Examiners, which governs prescribers, and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, which governs the pharmacies that compound and dispense. Louisiana’s pharmacy board has been more vocal on this subject than most, so this section is worth reading.
Telehealth prescribing. Louisiana’s framework is settled and, for non-controlled medications, straightforward:
- A physician practicing telemedicine on Louisiana patients must hold an unrestricted Louisiana license or a special telemedicine permit issued by the State Board of Medical Examiners. A physician licensed through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact holds a full Louisiana license and answers to the Board like any other licensee.
- The standard of care is the same as for an in-person encounter. Since the 2016 law, an encounter may even proceed by interactive audio alone if, after reviewing the patient’s records, the physician determines the same standard of care can be met.
- The Board’s telemedicine rules impose real restrictions on controlled substances: under La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § XLV-7513, a physician practicing telemedicine generally may not prescribe a controlled dangerous substance without an appropriate in-person history or physical examination, subject to narrow exceptions. GLP-1 medications are not controlled substances, so this restriction does not apply to them - but it is a useful reminder that Louisiana polices telemedicine prescribing actively.
- Board rules also require telemedicine physicians to make referrals or arrangements for follow-up care when necessary, and to give patients specific disclosures, including the physician’s name and Louisiana license number.
Compounded GLP-1s and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. In April 2023, as compounded semaglutide spread, the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy sent warnings to in-state compounding pharmacies telling them to stop compounding semaglutide, and told out-of-state compounders not to ship it to Louisiana patients, as WWL-TV in New Orleans reported. The Board’s executive director later told NBC News that the warnings were not a blanket ban on compounding semaglutide: the target was pharmacies compounding from semaglutide salt forms, which differ chemically from the base form used in the FDA-approved products and raised safety concerns. The distinction matters. Compounding from properly sourced base-form ingredient, for an individual patient, under a valid prescription, by a licensed pharmacy, remained a different question.
There is also a federal layer that applies in Louisiana as everywhere else. Section 503A of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act generally prohibits pharmacies from compounding drugs that are “essentially copies” of commercially available products. During the national shortages, semaglutide and tirzepatide were not considered commercially available, which opened the door to widespread compounding. The FDA declared the tirzepatide shortage resolved in late 2024 and the semaglutide shortage resolved in a February 2025 statement, with enforcement grace periods that ended in spring 2025. Compounded GLP-1s still on the market in 2026 are prescribed as individualized formulations for specific patients rather than as copies of manufactured products, and federal scrutiny of that practice has continued through 2026. The ground here can shift, and this page will be updated when it does.
Finally, a licensing point that protects patients: any pharmacy shipping prescriptions into Louisiana, including compounding pharmacies in other states, must hold a permit from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. Whoever you buy from, it is fair to ask which pharmacy is compounding your medication and whether it is permitted for Louisiana.
None of this is a reason to stop asking questions. It is a reason to ask more of them: who is prescribing, what pharmacy is compounding, what ingredient form it uses, and whether everyone in the chain is licensed for Louisiana.
Compounded semaglutide in Louisiana
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It mimics a hormone your body already produces, one that signals fullness, slows how quickly your stomach empties, and helps regulate blood sugar. The practical effect most patients describe is that food quiets down: smaller portions satisfy, and the constant background negotiation with appetite eases - no small thing in a state whose food is this good.
Compounded semaglutide is prepared by a licensed compounding pharmacy for an individual patient, based on a prescription. It is not FDA-approved, and that is a factual difference worth sitting with, not a footnote: compounded drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality before dispensing. Oversight comes instead from state boards of pharmacy and from the prescribing physician’s judgment about the individual patient. Given the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy’s history on this exact medication, the sourcing questions above are not hypothetical here.
Gentle Health offers compounded semaglutide to Louisiana patients in two forms, at dose-tiered cash prices:
- Oral semaglutide: starting at $112 per month. Taken daily, no needles involved.
- Injectable semaglutide: starting at $135 per month. A once-weekly subcutaneous injection with a small needle.
Both prices are cash-pay and dose-tiered; the monthly price changes if the prescribed dose moves into a different tier. Treatment is subject to medical evaluation by Dr. Simmons, and continuing care is included rather than billed separately.
Compounded tirzepatide in Louisiana
Tirzepatide works on two hormone receptors rather than one: GLP-1 and GIP. Like semaglutide, it is prescribed for weight management alongside changes to eating and activity; the dual mechanism is the main pharmacological distinction between the two medications. Which one is appropriate for a given patient, if either, is a clinical decision rather than a menu choice, and it depends on health history, other medications, and how a patient responds over time.
Compounded tirzepatide, like compounded semaglutide, is prepared for an individual patient by a licensed compounding pharmacy and is not FDA-approved.
Gentle Health offers compounded injectable tirzepatide to Louisiana patients starting at $169 per month, cash-pay, priced according to the prescribed dose tier, taken once weekly. As with semaglutide, the evaluation, prescription decision, and ongoing dose adjustments are handled by James Simmons, MD.
Provider options in Louisiana: comparison table
Methodology: rows are ordered alphabetically; prices were taken only from each provider’s public web pages (each row shows its verification date), and where a provider does not publish a price we say “See site” rather than guessing. Gentle Health operates this site and is listed on the same terms as everyone else. We do not rank providers.
| Provider | Care model | Compounded semaglutide (cash/mo) | Compounded tirzepatide (cash/mo) | Serves Louisiana | Insurance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden | Telehealth; medication price plus separate membership ($39 first month, then $99/mo) | $99 + membership | $199 + membership | See site (state availability not listed) | Not required; HSA/FSA eligible | eden.health (verified 2026-07-30) |
| Gentle Health (operates this site) | Telehealth; care by James Simmons, MD; dose-tiered pricing, no separate membership fee | From $112 oral / from $135 injectable | From $169 | Yes | No insurance; cash-pay only | gentle.health (verified 2026-07-27) |
| Henry Meds | Telehealth subscription; visit, medication, and supplies included | $247 after intro month (weekly injectable) | $349 after intro month (daily oral tablet) | Does not list Louisiana; Forbes Health reports Louisiana among unserved states | Not required; cash-pay | henrymeds.com (verified 2026-07-27) |
| Mochi Health | Telehealth; medication price plus $79/mo membership | $99 + membership | $199 + membership | Yes (serves all US states per its FAQ) | See site | joinmochi.com (verified 2026-07-30) |
| Noom Med | Telehealth; low-dose program bundling care and medication, billed $537 per 12 weeks after intro | From $179 (low-dose program) | See site | See site (Noom states it is not available in all 50 states) | Not required; FSA/HSA eligible | noom.com (verified 2026-07-30) |
| Rejuvime Medical | In-person concierge clinics in Baton Rouge and Metairie, LA; subscription includes provider consultations | $279.99 ($379.99 above 20 units) | See site | Yes (Louisiana clinics) | No insurance; HSA/FSA accepted | rejuvimemedical.com (verified 2026-07-30) |
A few reading notes. Headline medication prices and total monthly cost are not the same thing: where a provider charges a separate membership fee, your real monthly outlay is the sum of the two lines. Intro pricing is common in this market, so it is worth checking what month four costs, not just month one. And every provider on this list requires a medical evaluation; a price is only relevant if a licensed prescriber determines treatment is appropriate for you.
For a year-long, all-fees-included view of how the major programs price out, see our full comparison of what GLP-1 programs actually cost.
Frequently asked questions: compounded GLP-1 in Louisiana
Is compounded semaglutide legal in Louisiana? Compounding for an individual patient under a valid prescription is legal under federal law (Section 503A) and Louisiana law when the pharmacy is properly licensed and the product is not an essential copy of a commercially available drug. Louisiana’s Board of Pharmacy warned pharmacies in 2023 about compounding semaglutide from salt forms, and its executive director clarified that the warnings were aimed at those non-standard ingredients rather than at compounding as such. The honest summary: legal, regulated, and actively watched - which is why the pharmacy behind your prescription matters.
What did the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy actually say about compounded GLP-1s? In April 2023 the Board told in-state compounders to stop making semaglutide and told out-of-state pharmacies not to ship it to Louisiana patients, per WWL-TV’s reporting. The Board subsequently explained the concern was semaglutide salt forms, which are chemically different from the base form in FDA-approved products. Ask any provider which form its pharmacy compounds from; a good one will answer without hesitation.
Do I need an in-person doctor visit to get a GLP-1 prescription in Louisiana? No. Louisiana law allows a physician to establish care and prescribe non-controlled medications through telehealth, held to the same standard of care as an office visit. The state’s in-person requirements under its telemedicine rules apply to controlled dangerous substances, which GLP-1s are not.
Who prescribes for Gentle Health patients in Louisiana? James Simmons, MD, who is licensed to practice medicine in Louisiana through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which Louisiana joined by statute in 2020 (La. R.S. 37:1310.1). A Compact license is a full Louisiana license, and every prescription decision at Gentle Health is made by Dr. Simmons based on an individual medical evaluation.
Does insurance or Louisiana Medicaid cover compounded GLP-1s? Generally, no. Louisiana Medicaid applies clinical criteria to certain FDA-approved GLP-1 products (pharmacy criteria posted late 2024; check with Medicaid for the current version), but compounded medications fall outside those programs, and commercial plans typically do not cover compounded drugs either. Most providers in this market, Gentle Health included, are cash-pay. Some accept HSA or FSA funds; check the individual provider’s site.
How does the medication get to me? After a prescription is issued, a licensed compounding pharmacy prepares your medication and ships it to your address in Louisiana. Pharmacies shipping into the state, including out-of-state pharmacies, must hold a permit from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy, and shipments are packaged for temperature control where the formulation requires it.
Can I get compounded GLP-1 treatment anywhere in Louisiana, or only in the big cities? Anywhere in the state. Because the model is telehealth plus home delivery, a patient in Bastrop, Opelousas, or Houma has the same access as a patient in Baton Rouge or New Orleans. That is arguably where telehealth earns its keep: large rural stretches of north and central Louisiana have limited local access to obesity medicine.
Current Gentle Health dose tiers and pricing
Gentle Health pricing depends on the dose tier prescribed by your clinician. Current monthly prices are:
Oral compounded semaglutide
| Tier | Daily dose | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | 2-4 mg/day | $112/mo |
| Medium | >4-8 mg/day | $189/mo |
| High dose | >8-12 mg/day | $258/mo |
Injectable compounded semaglutide
| Tier | Weekly dose | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | 0.24-0.48 mg/wk | $135/mo |
| Medium | >0.48-1.2 mg/wk | $159/mo |
| High dose | >1.2-2.4 mg/wk | $199/mo |
Injectable compounded tirzepatide
| Tier | Weekly dose | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | 2.5-5 mg/wk | $169/mo |
| Medium | >5-10 mg/wk | $219/mo |
| High dose | >10-15 mg/wk | $269/mo |
Medication, the initial review by a licensed clinician, video visits and messaging, and overnight refrigerated shipping are included. There is no separate membership fee, and HSA and FSA cards are accepted. Your clinician determines the appropriate medication and dose; the monthly price changes if the prescribed dose moves into a different tier.
Gentle Health serves patients across a growing multistate footprint through clinicians licensed in each patient’s jurisdiction, including Louisiana.
Reviewed by James Simmons, MD
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Treatment subject to medical evaluation.