With the FDA set to convene an advisory committee in July to discuss peptides regulation, new findings from Sermo, a fast, frictionless HCP engagement platform providing the healthcare industry with real-time business insights and authentic physician touch points, reveals that unregulated peptide use is already widespread in U.S. exam rooms.
The 45th Sermo Barometer surveyed more than 500 U.S.-based physicians on how emerging peptide therapies are showing up in patient conversations. Nearly half (48%) reported that patients have disclosed using non-FDA-approved peptides in the past 12 months, most often accessed through medspas, online “research” products, and compounding pharmacies. Patients seek these therapies primarily for weight loss (69%), anti-aging (57%), muscle gain (55%), and longevity (41%), the same drivers powering the broader wellness economy.
“Patient peptide use feels like the wild west right now,” says Dr. Ashish Rana, MD, Internal Medicine Specialist & Sermo Medical Advisory Board Member. “Influencers are pushing a steady stream of unregulated therapies online, and patients are showing up to appointments asking about peptides we have no efficacy or safety data on, and that often weren’t manufactured under any meaningful oversight.”
Physicians Want Clarity from the FDA, Not Less of It
Physicians are uncomfortable with how patients are currently accessing and self-prescribing peptides. Roughly two-thirds (66%) say they are very or moderately concerned about patients accessing investigational peptides outside supervised clinical pathways.
That concern is shaping what physicians want from regulators. 81% say a clear FDA approval or review pathway is essential or very important to how they counsel patients on emerging therapies. This is a strong signal as the FDA prepares to convene its July advisory committee on peptide regulation. If access to peptides was expanded, physicians’ top concerns are patients self-directing treatment without clinical oversight (33%) and the challenge of monitoring safety and side effects (30%).
Social Media is Setting Patient Expectations
Patients aren’t learning about peptides from their physicians, they’re learning from their social feeds. 84% of physicians say patients cite social media, podcasts, influencers, or online forums as the source of their peptide information, with more than half (52%) reporting it happens almost always or frequently.
That information gap is reshaping the exam room itself. One-third of physicians (33%) cite unrealistic patient expectations as the biggest challenge peptide conversations create in clinical practice, and 21% report feeling pressure from patients to recommend treatments that are not FDA-approved. Rather than discussing evidence-based options, physicians are increasingly spending visit time recalibrating expectations set by content they didn’t create and can’t control.
GLP-3s: Physicians Brace for the Next Wave of Patient Demand
Anticipation for next-generation GLP-based therapies, including GLP-3/triple-agonist agents like retatrutide, is already building in physician offices. Among relevant specialists, 69% expect strong patient interest once these therapies are approved, and 24% report patients are already asking about them today. With the GLP-1 category having reshaped both metabolic care and patient expectations over the past three years, physicians anticipate GLP-3s will arrive into a market that is primed, vocal, and informed largely by social channels.
This survey was fielded from May 8th-12th, 2026 as part of Sermo’s ongoing Barometer study. The survey included 507 U.S.-based healthcare providers spanning cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, internal medicine, neurology, and orthopedic surgery specialties. To explore more findings, visit: https://app.sermo.com/barometer
About Sermo:
Sermo is a fast, frictionless physician engagement platform, providing the healthcare industry with real-time business insights and authentic physician touch points through our global community of 1M+ healthcare professionals and state-of-the-art technology. For over 20 years, Sermo has been turning physician experience, expertise, and observations into actionable insights that benefit pharmaceutical companies, healthcare partners, and the medical community at large. To learn more, visit www.sermo.com.
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