What Are Peptides?

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids — the same molecular building blocks that make up proteins, just in a shorter sequence. Your body makes and uses many peptides naturally. In the telehealth world, 'peptides' usually refers to specific synthesized compounds that a clinician may work with, or that vendors sell. The word itself tells you nothing about whether something is safe, approved, or appropriate — those depend entirely on the specific compound.

It helps to group the compounds by what category they're discussed under — strictly as a factual label, not an endorsement:

• GLP-1 / metabolic peptides: semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide. These are the active ingredients in FDA-approved prescription medications.
• GH-secretagogue peptides: sermorelin, ipamorelin, CJC-1295. These are prescription compounds a clinician may work with, often via compounding pharmacies.
• Recovery / tissue peptides: BPC-157, TB-500. These are not FDA-approved and are widely sold as research chemicals.
• Other: NAD+ (a coenzyme, not strictly a peptide but commonly grouped in longevity programs), GHK-Cu, and more.

We don't describe what any of these reportedly do — only what category they fall into and how providers handle them.

The defining fact about any peptide is its FDA and legal status, because that determines how you can legitimately access it. GLP-1 peptides are FDA-approved-ingredient prescription medications. Sermorelin, ipamorelin, and CJC-1295 are prescription compounds requiring a licensed provider. BPC-157 and TB-500 are not FDA-approved; they're sold widely as research chemicals 'not for human consumption,' and availability through compounding has been affected by FDA action. Conflating these — treating an unapproved research chemical as if it were settled medicine — is the most common and most dangerous mistake in this space.

For any prescription peptide, the legitimate path is the same: a licensed clinician evaluates you, often orders labs, and decides whether anything is appropriate, dispensing through a licensed or compounding pharmacy with monitoring. There is no compliant over-the-counter or 'free sample' route for prescription peptides. The telehealth providers we review are all paths to a licensed clinician — see our directory of peptide telehealth providers and how online peptide care works.

You'll find peptides sold cheaply online as 'research chemicals,' labeled 'not for human consumption.' These are unregulated: their identity, purity, and dosing are unverified, and using them outside clinician oversight carries real risk. We take a firm position that any peptide use belongs under a licensed provider. See research peptides vs. prescribed care for the full picture.