Zepbound availability: how do you find Zepbound?

Zepbound (tirzepatide) is an injectable prescription medication for weight loss indicated for people with obesity or overweight and designed to be used in combination with diet and exercise. Zepbound shares the same active ingredient and dosage strengths as Mounjaro, a medication for type 2 diabetes that may be prescribed off-label for weight loss.

Both drugs have been affected by long-term drug shortages. The demand for Zepbound, Mounjaro, and GLP-1 agonists drugs, such as Wegovy (semaglutide), Ozempic (semaglutide), and Saxenda (liraglutide), continues to outpace supply. At the time of writing, however, all of the dosage strengths of Zepbound are available. 

Read on as we share the latest on Zepbound’s availability and offer advice for finding Zepbound in stock near you.

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At the time of publication, tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Zepbound) is not in shortage, according to the Drug Shortages website managed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Meaning, you should be able to find the following strengths of Zepbound in stock at your local pharmacy: 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg. Keep in mind, though, you may still have difficulty filling your prescription at your local pharmacy because supply can vary among locations. 

Not only are all doses of Zepbound technically available but so are those of Mounjaro, which also contains tirzepatide as the active ingredient and comes in the same dosage strengths. Both Mounjaro and Zepbound are manufactured and produced by  Eli Lilly. As for where they differ? Their FDA-approved indications. 

• Zepbound is intended for people with obesity and overweight and helps with weight loss and weight management when taken in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. 

• Mounjaro is intended for people with type 2 diabetes and helps lower blood sugar levels when used in combination with diet and exercise. 

Both Zepbound and Mounjaro have experienced shortages in the past. More specifically, Zepbound has been on and off the FDA’s Drug Shortages list since April 2024 while Mounjaro has done stints on the list since 2022. The increase in Zepbound’s availability comes after a months-long shortage of the drug, which Eli Lilly attributed to “unprecedented demand” for Zepbound. And while it seems that the manufacturer might have gotten a hold on this issue, during an early 2024 investor call, Eli Lilly acknowledged that it expects demand to outpace supply through the rest of this year.  Meaning, patients might face problems finding Zepbound in stock again before the ball drops in December. During the investor call, the company also announced that it plans to produce 1.5 times as many doses of Zepbound in the second half of this year as it did in the second half of 2023.  

In order to achieve such a goal and catch up with demand, Eli Lilly has been working to expand their global manufacturing and supply chain. In June 2024, for example, the manufacturer opened a new plant in North Carolina; it also plans on building additional new facilities (such as one in Germany) in the coming years and expanding manufacturing capacity at some sites. Even so, the drug maker expects demand to continue to outpace supply throughout 2024.

In addition to the sky-high demand for the weight loss drug, the injector pen it comes in is yet another factor contributing to the vacillating availability of Zepbound shortage. Zepbound is administered via a once-weekly injection. Each box of Zepbound includes four pre-filled pens, each containing a single dose of the medication. According to David Ricks, the CEO of Eli Lilly, producing these pens is one of the “most complex [processes] on the planet,” further contributing to and exacerbating the shortage.

As mentioned above, all dosage strengths of Zepbound are currently available at the time of publication. That being said, to get a better idea of Zepbound’s availability, you can search for “tirzepatide” on the FDA’s Drug Shortages website. You can also sign up for supply update emails on the LillyDirect website (make sure that “Lilly medicines/supply updates” is checked when you subscribe) as well as through the Ro GLP-1 Supply Tracker—but more on that below.

As you may already know, trying to fill your prescription of Zepbound can be frustrating, and this is especially true during a shortage. Below, we share seven tips for finding Zepbound in stock near you.

1. Follow up with your pharmacy

During a Zepbound shortage, your pharmacy’s supply can be unpredictable. If your pharmacy is out of stock, Eli Lilly recommends continuing to check in with them over the next 2–10 days as their stock can change day to day and prescriptions can continue to be filled, just with a delay. You can also check the status of your prescription on the pharmacy’s website or app. 

2. Contact other local pharmacies

If you’re struggling to fill your prescription, it might be because your pharmacy is out of stock of Zepbound. But that doesn’t mean that other pharmacies are also dealing with a depleted supply of the drug. So, try calling around to see if other pharmacies in your area have Zepbound in stock. If they do, you may be able to transfer your prescription. Also, be aware that some pharmacies don’t actively keep Zepbound in stock, but they can try to order it if you have your Rx for Zepbound sent there.

Pro tip: When calling, be sure to ask about your specific dosage strength. During a shortage, pharmacies may have some doses in stock but not others.

3. Order refills earlier than normal

To avoid a delay in filling your prescription, it’s a good idea to order your refill much earlier than you normally would. This may help you get ahead of the delays that typically occur during a Zepbound shortage. 

4. Request two- or three-month supplies

Zepbound is available in one-, two-, and three-month supplies. If you’ve been filling your prescription on a month-to-month basis, ask your pharmacist about a three-month supply instead. Having access to a longer supply may help you avoid any gaps in your treatment plan, especially if a Zepbound shortage occurs.  

If you are taking advantage of the Zepbound Savings Card program to lower the cost of Zepbound, the two- and three-month supplies are eligible for the program as well.

5. Try online fulfillment options

If you can’t find Zepbound in stock near you, go online. Online pharmacies like Amazon Pharmacy and others may have Zepbound in stock. Eli Lilly also offers home delivery of Zepbound through their LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions program. Conveniently, many online pharmacies also offer free home shipping.

Online weight loss programs, such as Ro, may offer prescriptions for Zepbound or other weight loss medications (if appropriate). In addition, Ro offers a personalized coaching regimen that helps you keep up with the lifestyle changes recommended when taking Zepbound, such as diet and exercise, as well as help with getting insurance coverage. 

6. Get help from online communities and tools

Free and accessible to all, the Ro GLP-1 Supply Tracker helps patients (and providers!) stay informed about the latest drug shortages. Through the tool, you can report shortages to the FDA, track which drugs are currently in short supply (according to the FDA and community reports), as well as receive updates when supply becomes available nearby. 

You can also monitor Zepbound availability near you by joining the r/Zepbound subreddit on Reddit. At the time of writing, the community boasts 70,000 members. There are many threads about Zepbound availability—so many, in fact, that the moderators have instituted a “Weekly Availability Discussion” thread. Each week, users share pharmacies where they were able to find Zepbound and in what dosage strength so others can find it, too. There are even regional chat rooms that make it easier to find Zepbound in stock. 

Plus, the community is a great place to connect with other Zepbound users to ask questions and get support. 

7. Consider Zepbound alternatives

During a drug shortage, some health providers may recommend switching to a different drug to avoid any disruptions in treatment. Some health providers may recommend switching to Mounjaro, which contains the same active ingredient as Zepbound but is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, or they may recommend switching to another medication altogether, such as another GLP-1 injectable medication for weight loss or a weight loss pill. 

Zepbound alternatives for weight loss include:

• Wegovy (semaglutide)

• Saxenda (liraglutide)

• Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate)

• Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion)

• Xenical (orlistat)

• Alli (orlistat)

Similar to Zepbound, Wegovy and Saxenda are both injectable medications that are FDA-approved for weight loss. However, at the time of writing, one or more dosage strengths of Saxenda are experiencing limited availability without a projected end date, according to the FDA.

The other Zepbound alternatives listed—Qsymia, Contrave, Xenical, and Alli—are all oral medications you can take for weight loss. At the time of writing, none of these medications are in shortage, according to the FDA’s Drug Shortages website.

Drug shortages can be an unwelcome surprise, to say the least, but you have options for finding Zepbound. Plan ahead for refills, explore local and online pharmacies near you, and talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

November 01, 2024

Written by

Amelia Willson

Fact checked by

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

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About the medical reviewer

Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Patricia Weiser, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist, health content writer, and medical reviewer with more than a decade of clinical experience in community and hospital pharmacy.