Glossary
The small glossary that makes the rest easier
Technical words are useful only when they shrink confusion. Here are the ones that earn their place.
Tap a term
ProductCareCost
Ingredientwhat does the work
Indicationthe approved use
Formularya plan’s medicine list
Product words
- Tirzepatide
- The active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound.
- Peptide
- A short chain of protein building blocks. The word alone says nothing about approval or safety.
- FDA-approved
- Reviewed by the FDA as a specific product for a specific use.
- Indication
- The condition or use named on an approved label.
- Generic
- A separately approved product shown to meet the FDA’s generic-drug requirements. No approved tirzepatide generic existed as of September 2026.
- Compounded medicine
- A preparation that a pharmacy or a doctor mixes to order. It is not FDA-approved.
Care words
- Telehealth
- Care by video, phone, or online form. The prescriber must still hold a licence for the state where you are during the visit.
- Prescriber
- The licensed professional, often a doctor, who decides on and writes a prescription. They need a legal licence in the state where you are.
- State medical board
- The public authority that keeps physician licence and discipline records.
- State board of pharmacy
- The public authority that licenses pharmacies in a state.
- Outsourcing facility
- A larger business that makes sterile, germ-free medicines in batches, often for clinics and hospitals. It must follow the same quality rules as drug factories, and the FDA inspects it. Registering with the FDA is its own choice, and registration is not approval.
Money words
- List price
- The maker’s official price before any discount or insurance.
- Self-pay
- A cash price paid without using insurance for that purchase.
- Formulary
- The list of medicines a health plan covers.
- Prior authorization
- Extra approval a plan asks for before it covers a medicine.
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