Semaglutide or tirzepatide? Ozempic or Mounjaro? It's the most asked question in GLP-1 medicine, and Dr. Clete Barrick has prescribed both to over 5,000 patients.

In this episode, he covers the real differences between single and dual agonist medications, the head-to-head SURMOUNT-5 trial results, side effect profiles (including the birth control interaction most providers miss), who actually does better on which medication, and why the best GLP-1 is the one you can afford to stay on.

He also addresses compounding costs, why semaglutide is sometimes the smarter pick despite tirzepatide's stronger averages, the oral Wegovy option for patients with needle phobia, and the fear-mongering around FDA regulatory moves that's driving patients to make bad decisions.

In this episode:

• Single vs. dual agonist: what the mechanism difference actually means
• SURMOUNT-5 and the 2026 Bernardi meta-analysis (28 trials, 34,000 patients)
• Why averages hide a massive spread in individual responses
• GI side effects compared (and why tirzepatide is often better tolerated)
• The birth control absorption warning (59% reduction with tirzepatide)
• Autoimmune conditions, migraines, and PCOS: which medication has the edge
• Compounding costs: semaglutide vs. tirzepatide pricing reality
• The sledgehammer vs. Michelangelo analogy
• Why you shouldn't switch medications based on social media fear

New episodes weekly. Subscribe and visit barrickhealth.com for physician-led GLP-1 care.

Everything discussed in this episode is education, not medical advice for your specific situation. Talk to your prescriber before making changes to your treatment.

LINKS: barrickhealth.com https://www.youtube.com/@BarrickHealth

REFERENCES CITED:

• Jastreboff AM, et al. Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-5). N Engl J Med. 2025.
• Wilding JPH, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 1). N Engl J Med. 2021;384:989-1002.
• Jastreboff AM, et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). N Engl J Med. 2022;387:205-216.
• Lincoff AM, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT). N Engl J Med. 2023;389:2221-2232.
• Bernardi S, et al. Network meta-analysis of tirzepatide vs semaglutide (28 RCTs, 34,367 patients). J Diabetes. 2026.
• Mounjaro prescribing information: oral contraceptive absorption interaction data.