Questions to Ask Before Subscribing to Any GLP-1 Telehealth Service
Every time you subscribe to a GLP-1 telehealth service, you are entering into a healthcare relationship that affects your body, your bank account, and your medical record for as long as you stay on treatment. Twenty minutes of questions before you subscribe will save hours of regret afterward.
Here are the 20 questions. Email them to customer service, look for answers on the site, or skip any provider that won't answer them plainly.
About the medication
1. Is the medication you'll prescribe brand-name, compounded, or both?
Brand-name means FDA-approved Wegovy, Zepbound, Ozempic, or Mounjaro. Compounded means a 503A pharmacy producing semaglutide or tirzepatide to your prescription. Both have their place, but the regulatory status and supply chain are completely different. You should know which you're getting.
2. If compounded, which 503A pharmacy is filling it?
Name, location, state pharmacy license number, and NABP ID. This should be disclosed.
3. What are the exact active ingredients and concentrations?
For compounded formulations, this matters. Some providers compound plain semaglutide; others add B12, L-carnitine, or other ingredients. Those additions are marketing, not medicine. You should know what's actually in the vial.
4. How is the medication shipped, and what's the cold-chain protocol?
GLP-1s need refrigeration. Ask about packaging, the temperature monitor if any, and what to do if a shipment arrives warm.
5. What's the generic vs. branded beyond-use date (BUD)?
Compounded medications have shorter stability than FDA-approved brand-name. Standard BUDs range from 28 to 90 days after opening. Ask what the BUD is on their specific formulation.
About the clinician
6. Who will prescribe — an MD, DO, NP, or PA?
All can legitimately prescribe GLP-1s. Know which you'll be working with.
7. Will I have the same provider across visits, or will I be rotated?
Some platforms assign a dedicated clinician; others rotate based on availability. Continuity matters for GLP-1s because dose titration and side effect management benefit from a clinician who knows your history.
8. Are visits synchronous (video/phone) or asynchronous (form-based)?
Async is legal in most states and can be appropriate for GLP-1 care. But you should know what you're getting. Some people strongly prefer a video visit.
9. What happens if I need to reach a clinician between scheduled visits?
Response time for messages? Phone access? After-hours coverage? This matters for side effects.
About the pricing
10. What's the total monthly cost at each stage of titration?
GLP-1 dosing increases over time. The price at the starter dose may be half the price at the maintenance dose. Get the full price schedule before subscribing.
11. Is there a membership or subscription fee in addition to the medication?
Some providers bundle; others have a separate membership. Both can be fine; know the total.
12. What's the cancellation process and are there cancellation fees?
Ask how to cancel, what notice is required, and whether any fees apply.
13. Does the price include lab work, or is that separate?
If labs are required or strongly recommended, find out who pays.
About the logistics
14. What states are you licensed in?
Not every telehealth company is licensed in every state. This should be listed on the site.
15. What happens if I move to a state where you don't operate?
You may need to transfer your prescription to a new provider. Ask about the process in advance.
16. How do you handle dose changes and titration?
Will a clinician proactively adjust your dose as tolerated? Do you have to request changes? What's the protocol if you're struggling with side effects?
17. What's your adverse-event protocol?
If you have a serious side effect — severe nausea, pancreatitis symptoms, anything alarming — what's the escalation path?
About the data and records
18. How can I download a copy of my medical records?
Under HIPAA, you have a right of access. Ask how to exercise it and what fees apply.
19. What happens to my records if you close down?
Companies do shut down. Ask about continuity planning and whether records are transferred to another provider or to the patient directly.
20. Is my data sold or shared with third parties for marketing?
The answer should be no, or a clearly-explained opt-in with specifics. Read the privacy policy before relying on the customer service answer.
How to use this list
- Triage with site search. Open the provider's site and the privacy policy. Use Ctrl-F to find as many answers as you can on the public pages. A well-run provider will have 15 of the 20 answerable without asking anyone.
- Send the remaining questions to customer service. A single email, bulleted. Good providers respond within a business day with clear, non-defensive answers.
- Evaluate the response, not just the content. Did they answer all the questions? Were the answers plain and direct, or hedged and marketing-flavored? Did they push back on the questions themselves? Quality of response is a signal.
- Save the email. If you ever have a dispute about something the company told you during enrollment, the email is your evidence.
What the perfect response looks like
A fictional ideal answer to question 11 ("Is there a membership fee?") might read: "Yes. Our membership is $49/month billed separately from medication. The membership includes unlimited messaging with your clinician, one video visit per quarter included, and 24-hour response time on clinical questions. Medication is billed separately at the per-dose price on our pricing page, which ranges from $279/month at the starter dose to $429/month at maintenance for compounded tirzepatide."
That's specific, includes numbers, separates concepts cleanly, and tells you exactly what you're paying for. The providers that can write answers like that are the ones worth subscribing to.
What a bad response looks like
Compare to: "Our pricing is designed to be affordable and flexible to meet your needs. Please visit our pricing page or speak to one of our enrollment specialists to discuss your specific plan."
That's not an answer. That's a deflection designed to get you into a sales conversation where the pricing comes out in pieces after you've already invested time and intent. A provider that answers this way to a direct pricing question is a provider that makes money from information asymmetry — which should be enough information to walk.
The bigger point
The best moment to evaluate a provider is before you've paid anything. Once you're a customer, the incentive to rationalize the choice kicks in and objectivity erodes. Twenty minutes of questions now protects months of hassle later.