Switching GLP-1 Providers: What to Bring and Expect

To switch GLP-1 providers safely, bring your current medication's name and dose, the date of your last injection, a photo of the pharmacy label, notes on any side effects and recent lab results if you have them. Your new provider reviews all of it before prescribing, so your first dose may not be the exact number you took before.

At Padgett Medical Center in Tampa, personalized compounded semaglutide starts at $149 a month and personalized compounded tirzepatide at $229 a month at the starting dose, and the price rises with the dose. Coming from another clinic makes you a new Padgett patient: book online with a card on file and take 15% off your first month of medication, and your $100 visit is free when you start medication. Nothing is charged when you book. Every dose and price is on the personalized compounded semaglutide and personalized compounded tirzepatide pages.

What should you bring when you switch GLP-1 providers?

Bring five things: your medication and dose, the date of your last injection, the pharmacy label, your side-effect history and any recent labs. Photos on your phone are fine.

Medication and dose. Write the dose in milligrams (mg), the way your prescriber wrote it, not only the number of units you draw into the syringe. Add each earlier dose and roughly when you moved up, because the pace of your increases matters as much as where you are now. Note your weight before you started, and the date.

Date of your last injection. Give the actual date, not 'about a week ago'. It tells your new provider whether you can continue on schedule or have been off long enough that restarting lower is the safer choice.

The pharmacy label. Photograph the vial or pen label and the prescription label. On a vial, the most important line is the strength, written as milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). The directions, such as how many units to inject, the pharmacy's name and the fill date help too.

Side effects. Note what you had, at which dose, how long it lasted and whether a dose was held or lowered because of it. Nausea that faded in a week and vomiting that stopped a dose increase lead to different plans.

Labs and other medicines. Bring recent blood work if you have it, such as an A1c or kidney tests, and a list of every medication and supplement you take. MedlinePlus advises keeping a written list of all your prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements, and bringing it to every visit; its tirzepatide page says the same.

Why might a new provider not keep you on the same dose?

A new provider has to assess you before prescribing anything, and the same number on two labels can mean different amounts of medication. After reviewing your history, your provider may continue your dose, adjust it or restart lower.

The assessment is not a formality. Whoever writes your next prescription is responsible for it, so your health history, current medications, side effects and progress get the same review as any new patient's. Things may have changed since you started: a new blood pressure medicine, a pregnancy plan or a gallbladder problem can all change the plan.

Doses also don't carry over neatly. Compounded medications are prepared by a pharmacy for each patient, and the strength of a vial is not the same at every pharmacy, so 20 units from one vial and 20 units from another can hold different amounts of medication. Padgett's dose list is written in milligrams, and its steps won't always match the numbers on your old label. That's why your provider sets your new dose in milligrams and gives you instructions for your new vial.

Time off medication matters most. For FDA-approved semaglutide injection, the prescribing information says that if 2 or more doses in a row are missed, dose escalation should restart at a lower dose to reduce the risk of stomach side effects. That's why the date of your last injection is on the list.

How does online booking work if you're already on a GLP-1?

Start at padgettmedical.com/start/weight-loss. When it asks 'Have you used a weight loss medication before?', choose 'I'm on one now'. It then asks which dose you're on and shows the price at each dose.

The steps run in this order: your main goal; whether you've used a weight-loss medication; whether you're a current Padgett patient (coming from another clinic, choose 'No, I'm a new patient'); which medication you're interested in; and the dose you're on now. Each dose shows its monthly price and, for new patients, the first-month price with 15% off when you keep a card on file. Then you choose an in-person visit in Tampa or telehealth.

If your dose isn't on the list, or you only know it in units, choose 'I'm not sure'. The dose you pick sets the price you see. Morgan Colee, PA, confirms the right dose at your visit, and your price follows the dose you're prescribed.

How do you avoid a gap between providers?

Book your first Padgett visit while you still have doses left, and keep taking your current medication exactly as your current prescriber directed until your new provider tells you when to take your first new dose. Never take two GLP-1 medications in the same week.

Leave time on both ends. The visit is 30 minutes, and if medication is right for you it can be prescribed at that visit. It then ships to your door anywhere in Florida, so don't wait for your last dose to book.

Don't overlap. The labels for FDA-approved semaglutide and tirzepatide both say that using them with other products containing the same ingredient, or with any other GLP-1 medication, is not recommended. Use each vial only with its own instructions: the unit count for your new vial does not apply to leftover medication from your old one, or the other way around.

If a gap has already happened, tell us the date when you book or at the visit. It isn't something to hide; it's the information your provider needs to restart you safely.

Does the new-patient discount apply if you're transferring?

Yes. If you've never been a Padgett patient, you're a new patient, even if you've been on a GLP-1 for months somewhere else.

New patients who book online with a card on file take 15% off their first month of medication, at the dose they're prescribed. Your card is saved, not charged, when you book, and after the first month you pay the regular price for your dose. The $100 visit is free when you start medication. Current Padgett patients book at their regular price.

You can also book without a card at the regular price; that appointment stays unconfirmed until staff confirm it by phone, and it's released after 48 hours if it isn't confirmed. There's no contract, and missing a visit without 24 hours' notice carries a $50 no-show fee.

What happens at your first visit at Padgett?

Your first visit is with Morgan Colee, PA, in person at 6904 W. Linebaugh Ave in Tampa or by telehealth anywhere in Florida. Morgan reviews what you brought, your health history and your goals, then sets your dose and explains the reasoning.

You leave with clear instructions for your exact medication: the dose in milligrams, how many units that is in your new vial, and when to take it. If you've wondered about changing medications, this is the time to ask; read which GLP-1 is right for you first. For telehealth, you need to be in Florida at the time of the visit and show a valid Florida driver's license or state ID on camera. Questions first? Pick a free 15-minute phone consultation with our medical staff when you book. Book your visit.

Personalized compounded semaglutide and personalized compounded tirzepatide are compounded drugs that have not been approved by the FDA. They have not been reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality. FDA-approved products containing semaglutide and tirzepatide are available. Individual results vary.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed provider about your own health, medications and treatment options.