Obesity Biology and Incretin Pharmacology

Explore appetite control, insulin signaling, glucagon, gastric emptying, energy balance, adipose tissue, metabolic adaptation, and the hormonal pathways involved in regulating weight.

Find out how the GLP-1, GIP, glucagon, and amylin pathways affect appetite, blood glucose levels, body weight, and metabolic health.

Semaglutide Prescribing and Dosing

Learn how to examine patients, choose the right starting dose, adjust the treatment, evaluate the response, manage side effects, and decide when to suspend, lower, or stop semaglutide.

The course includes content on formulations for obesity and diabetes, approved indications, what to expect in terms of treatment, what to do if doses are missed, medication transitions, monitoring, and long-term care.

Tirzepatide Prescribing and Dosing

Outline the combined effects of tirzepatide on GIP and GLP-1, the indications for which it has been approved by the FDA, the way it is dosed, the process of titration, the expected response, the safety considerations, and the requirements for follow-up.

The course outlines how Dr. Petteruti individualizes dose progression based on appetite control, weight trajectory, side effects, metabolic response, and specific treatment goals.

Retatrutide: The Triple-Agonist Pipeline

Look at retrutide's combined effect on the GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors.

The course looks at published clinical trial results, covering Phase 3 weight-loss and metabolic outcomes, the dosage used in the studies, adverse effects, and unanswered questions.

Retatrutide is still under investigation and has not been approved by the FDA, is not commercially available, and is not allowed to be used in compounding.

Cagrilintide and CagriSema

Find out how cagrilintide functions as a long-acting amylin analog and in what ways it differs from GLP-1 and dual-agonist medications.

The clinical trial results for cagrilintide either on its own or in combination with semaglutide as CagriSema are reviewed. The course looks at appetite control, the weight-loss results, the dosing used in the study, the safety findings, and the evolving regulatory pathway.

Cagrilintide is not currently approved by the FDA or allowed to be compounded.

Patient Selection and Contraindications

Find out how to assess a patient's medical history, their past attempts to lose weight, their current medications, their metabolic health, their eating habits, any gastrointestinal conditions they have, their risk for pregnancy, their history of gallbladder problems, their risk of developing pancreatitis, their kidney function, and any personal or family history of endocrine disorders.

The course also includes those findings which need further evaluation or referral prior to treatment.

Side-Effect Management

Prepare practical strategies for nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, abdominal discomfort, reduced appetite, dehydration, dizziness, fatigue, and reactions at the site of injection.

Know when to perform a slow titration, decrease the dose, suspend therapy, request further testing, or refer the patient for an urgent evaluation.

Laboratory Testing and Monitoring

Assess baseline and follow-up tests in light of the patient's medical history, diagnosis, medication choice, and clinical risk.

Learn how to monitor glucose levels, HbA1c, kidney function, liver health, lipid levels, nutritional status, body composition, blood pressure, symptoms, and response to medication.

Muscle Preservation During Weight Loss

Find out why scale weight by itself is an incomplete measure of success.

The course includes coverage of protein intake, resistance training, body-composition monitoring, recovery, sleep, hormone levels, and methods for reducing unnecessary loss of lean mass during treatment.

Nutrition and Behavior Change

Find out how to include treatment plan goals related to protein, meal structure, hydration, fiber, portion awareness, resistance exercise, sleep, stress management, and motivational interviewing.

Medication ought to support changes in behavior and metabolism rather than take their place.

Long-Term Treatment and Weight Regain

Review the need for maintenance dosing, how long treatment should last, considerations for tapering, stopping the medication, weight regain, how often patients should have follow-up visits, and what patients can expect.

Find out how to draw up a long-term plan before the patient gets to their goal weight.

Preventing Dosing Errors

Find out how to prescribe and record doses in milligrams rather than depending solely on "units."

Review concentration calculations, choose the appropriate syringe, give the patient instructions, check the written instructions, verify the medication labels, and use error-reduction methods that apply to compounded multidose vials.

Practice Implementation

Set up a full workflow covering consultation, screening, laboratory testing, obtaining consent, prescribing, follow-ups, medication education, support for side effects, monitoring body composition, and long-term maintenance.

The course covers how to incorporate GLP-1 therapy into a primary care, functional medicine, hormone, metabolic, or healthy-aging practice.

Marketing and Patient Acquisition

Learn how to educate potential patients, provide an accurate description of your program, establish your authority, produce digital content, and communicate the benefits of medical oversight.

The course provides a marketing plan prepared for you, along with patient education materials and strategies for promoting the program without guaranteeing weight loss or advertising products that have not been approved.

Pricing, KPIs, and Practice Growth

Find out how to set prices for consultations, follow-up visits, body-composition tests, laboratory reviews, medication-management services, and long-term programs.

Track inquiries, consultations, enrollment, retention, revenue, treatment continuation, and patient outcomes using the provided KPI Master Glossary.

Commercial and Compounded Medications

You should understand the differences between FDA-approved brand medications, compounded products, active pharmaceutical ingredients, salt forms, dosing units, multidose vials, and prefilled syringes.

The course covers the current FDA policies, modifications related to shortages, pharmacy qualification, dosing errors, sterility, patient education, and documentation.

Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and their legal availability depends on federal policy and the situation regarding drug shortages.