When you walk into a doctor's office, you trust that what they give you is safe. That trust depends on a basic assumption: that someone, somewhere, has verified what is in the vial. With research-grade peptides, that assumption does not hold.

The Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners issued an urgent alert this month warning physicians across the state not to prescribe, dispense, or administer peptides that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The reason is stark. Research-grade peptides are not subject to FDA oversight for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality. As the Board's chair Dr. Max Rogers explained: "When a substance has not gone through FDA review, there is no reliable way to verify what it actually is, how it was manufactured, or what risks it may pose."

That warning came because the problem is already here. The Board confirmed it is conducting investigations and audits at a level and frequency that required immediate action. Peptides have exploded in popularity through social media influencers promoting unverified claims about muscle growth, anti-aging, weight loss, and athletic performance. Patients are walking into exam rooms with information from wellness influencers and asking their doctors to prescribe products that no federal agency has evaluated for human use. Some providers are complying.

Most alarming is who is being targeted. National reporting has highlighted growing use among teenagers and young adults seeking physical enhancement, a demographic that is especially vulnerable to influencer-driven health trends and least equipped to evaluate the risks.

Alabama acted. Most states have not. And the gap in federal oversight that made Alabama's warning necessary remains open nationwide.

We are calling on the FDA to issue federal guidance on research-grade peptides marketed for human use, the FTC to investigate and take action against social media influencers making unverified health claims about unregulated peptide products, and Congress to close the regulatory loophole that allows research-grade substances to reach patients without safety verification. We are also calling on medical boards in every state to follow Alabama's lead and issue provider warnings before more patients are harmed.

You should be able to trust what your doctor gives you. Right now, with peptides, you cannot.