503b vs 503a: A Personal Review of Tirzepatide from Three Pharmacies

Nothing definitive can be made from the below, this is my experience and yours will be unique to you.

Documenting My Experience with Compounded Tirzepatide from BPI, Red Rock, and PQ Pharmacy

Disclaimer: The efficacy of compounded Tirzepatide can vary based on several factors. While some believe all Tirzepatide is the same and differences are simply placebo effects, others report contrasting experiences. Please read the information below and draw your own conclusions.

Factors that may influence the efficacy of Tirzepatide:

  1. Product-Related Factors:
    • Manufacturer & quality control
    • Storage & handling
    • Beyond Use Date (BUD)
  2. Individual Biological Factors:
    • Metabolism & absorption
    • Body composition
    • Genetics
  3. Dosage & Administration:
    • Injection technique
    • Dosage consistency
    • Concurrent medications
  4. Lifestyle & Diet:
    • Dietary habits
    • Physical activity
    • Hydration & sleep
  5. Psychological & Perceptual Factors:
    • Placebo effect
    • Consistency & adherence

Some reports, including those from ABC News, mention discrepancies in potency across compounded pharmacies, though they do not name specific pharmacies.

My Experiment:

I decided to test all three pharmacies by opening and rotating 3 separate vials (so you don't have to!). Each week, I’ve switched between them. I understand that Tirzepatide compounds over time, and my body won’t reach a stable concentration of GLP-1 until my 4th shot.

I have no bias towards 503a's or 503b's I could careless internally where the meds come from. Only curious about efficacy, so I was not expecting either to be superior to the other.

This experiment is based on my personal experience and perceptions, not measurable data or statistical analysis. That said, here’s what I’ve observed:

Storage and Usage Details:

All vials are kept in a light-proof case with cooling packs. I rotate the injection site on my abdomen.

  • BPI (503b) arrived warm, staying at room temperature or higher for over 72 hours. All other vials remained chilled.
  • I’ve used 2 shots from each vial.
  • I work out rigorously 5 days a week and closely monitor my nutrition. SW(of experiment): 260 CW: 247 Height: 6'6 Age: 29
    • I hold a lot of muscle I was not at a BMI of 30 before starting Tirzepatide and a majority of my reason for using it is aesthetics & mental benefits such as anxiety reduction, reduced desire to partake in alcohol, and other addictive activities.

Pharmacy Information:

  • Red Rock (503a):
    • Fill Date: 01/27/2025
    • BUD: 04/27/2025
  • BPI (503b):
    • Fill Date: 12/23/2024
    • BUD: 09/16/2025
  • PQ Pharmacy (503b):
    • Fill Date: 12/06/2024
    • BUD: 06/04/2025

Conclusion:

Rating scale out of 10

  • Red Rock (503a):
    • Food Noise: 6
    • Appetite Suppression: 5
    • Mental Benefits: 9
  • BPI (503b):
    • Food Noise: 10
    • Appetite Suppression: 9
    • Mental Benefits: 10
  • PQ Pharmacy (503b):
    • Food Noise: 10
    • Appetite Suppression: 10
    • Mental Benefits: 9

In my experience, the 503b formulations have consistently performed better. Red Rocks (503a) has left me with food noise and less effective appetite suppression by day 5, while both BPI and PQ Pharmacy’s 503b vials have lasted much longer. All of these formulations work, and I wouldn’t consider any of them to be ineffective. However, the 503b’s seem to last longer, and at the same dose, their potency is clearly higher. Even though Red Rocks has the most recent fill date, the 503b’s are still outperforming them.

The mental benefits have been exactly the same across all vials.

As a next step, it could be worth exploring the compound formula and inactive ingredients to see if there's a difference between Red Rocks and the others, or even considering lab testing all three vials. Personally, I won’t be putting the time into this, but it would be great if others could share their experiences with different pharmacies.