WATCH: HHS says some wellness peptides will be available by prescription

As of October 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new policy allowing compounding pharmacies to produce and sell treatments involving six unapproved peptides without formal FDA approval. This move was spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., aiming to provide a "controlled alternative" to buying these peptides from potentially unreliable foreign sources. However, most Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientific staff members strongly opposed this plan, warning it could undermine the agency’s mission of keeping unproven health products off the U.S. market. Critics like Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman argue that the peptides are experimental drugs posing safety risks, while supporters claim it addresses a growing demand for wellness products in the gray market.