Talking to your doctor about peptides
The most useful thing this site can do is help you have a better conversation with a qualified UK clinician. That conversation is short, often time-pressured, and easier when you arrive with structure — both about what you want to know and what you need to disclose.
What to disclose
Clinicians cannot help you safely if they do not know what you are actually taking or considering. Disclosure is not judgement — it is the only way the conversation becomes useful.
- Any prescribed medicines, including those bought privately or imported.
- Any unlicensed compounds, peptides, “research products”, or supplements you currently use or are considering.
- Where you obtained them, including online sellers, social media, or clinics.
- Any symptoms that started after starting a product.
- For athletes: testing status and any anti-doping organisation you compete under.
General questions about any peptide medicine
These are starter questions you can adapt for a GP, specialist, pharmacist, or anti-doping advisor. The aim is to help you have a better-informed conversation — not to replace one.
- Is this a licensed UK medicine? For which indication?
- If it's licensed, is the proposed use on-label or off-label?
- If it's unlicensed, what is the human evidence base — RCTs, observational, or animal only?
- What are the known risks, contraindications, and interactions with my current medicines?
- What outcomes would you want me to watch for, and when should I get back in touch?
- How would suspected side effects be reported (Yellow Card)?
- Is there a licensed alternative that we should try first?
Specific questions about GLP-1 weight-loss medicines
These are starter questions you can adapt for a GP, specialist, pharmacist, or anti-doping advisor. The aim is to help you have a better-informed conversation — not to replace one.
- Am I eligible for NHS GLP-1 access, or is private the appropriate route?
- What is the realistic outcome timescale and what does success look like for me?
- What dose-escalation plan are you proposing and why?
- How will gastrointestinal side effects be managed?
- What is the plan if I stop the medicine — both for side effects and for weight regain?
- What should I check on the genuine packaging when I collect my prescription?
Specific questions for athletes
These are starter questions you can adapt for a GP, specialist, pharmacist, or anti-doping advisor. The aim is to help you have a better-informed conversation — not to replace one.
- Is this compound on the WADA Prohibited List, or does it fall under S0?
- Do I need a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) and how would we apply?
- What in-competition vs out-of-competition rules apply?
- If I am tested, what supply-chain evidence should I keep?
- Who in my federation or club should I notify if I am prescribed something?
Questions about a peptide a clinic has offered you
These are starter questions you can adapt for a GP, specialist, pharmacist, or anti-doping advisor. The aim is to help you have a better-informed conversation — not to replace one.
- Is the compound a licensed UK medicine?
- Who is the named prescriber, and on which UK register are they registered?
- What is the written complaints procedure and which regulator covers it?
- What is the clinic's commercial relationship with the supplier of the product?
- What is the long-term safety data, and what do you not know yet?
What good informed consent looks like
- You can describe the proposed treatment in your own words.
- You understand it is licensed / off-label / unlicensed and what each means.
- You know the main expected benefits and the main known risks.
- You know what you are paying for, and whether the clinic has a commercial relationship with the product.
- You have a written plan for follow-up, side-effect reporting, and stopping.