GoKawiilCDC survey: 27 million US adults used GLP-1 drugs in 2025, many off-label
A CDC study analyzing survey data from over 8,000 US adults found that 9.8% of Americans, or roughly 27 million people, used a GLP-1 medication in 2025. Nearly half of those users altered how they took the drug—skipping doses, delaying refills or taking smaller amounts than prescribed—and more than half of that group cited cost or availability as the reason. At least 23% of users took a compounded version of the drug, with another 9% unsure whether their medication was compounded.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest that affordability and supply constraints are pushing a large share of patients toward informal dosing strategies and unregulated compounded products, which could affect both safety and treatment effectiveness. Younger adults appear especially burdened by cost, per the CDC data, hinting at unequal access to these increasingly popular therapies. The scale of unsupervised or modified use raises questions for regulators and prescribers about how real-world use is diverging from clinical guidance.
- About 27 million US adults, or 9.8%, used a GLP-1 drug in 2025, per CDC survey data.
- 44% of users altered their prescribed usage, mostly due to cost or access issues, with younger adults most affected.
- At least 23% of users relied on compounded GLP-1 versions, and 9% didn't know if theirs was compounded.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-11-13
Published there as: “Millions in US use unapproved GLP-1s—and use them in unapproved ways”
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