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It’s Easier Than Ever To Get A Prescription Online. That Might Be A Problem

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Online teleprescribing platforms promise fast access to medication. Critics say the model can bypass safeguards and leave patients in the dark about risks

Peg Rosen

March 26, 2026

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Soon after starting his freshman year at Washington State University in 2022, Luke Tyler spotted an Instagram ad that offered hope for his anxiety and undiagnosed depression. It was sponsored by Hims & Hers Health, Inc., one of the many online platforms that now market and prescribe mail-order medications for a range of common health conditions.

Tyler clicked on the ad, completed a brief online questionnaire, and was up front about his “bad self-harm habits. “I’ve been wanted [sic] to look into medication for a while,” he wrote, adding that he sought “a healthier way to cope without involving an expensive therapist, or worrying my parents.”

Every day, millions like Tyler engage with telehealth ads that promise medicated relief for chronic and non-urgent health needs ranging from hair loss to hot flashes. According to the company’s quarterly report to investors, more than 2.5 million people now subscribe to Hims & Hers, up 13% from this time in 2025.

There are many reasons why consumers find online prescribing platforms attractive: These businesses — which are often self-pay only — make it easy, private, and quick to get the drugs they want, without the time spent and potentially high cost of seeing a healthcare provider in person, wrangling with insurance companies, or justifying their desire for a particular prescription. For those with no insurance or high deductibles, self-paying for medication through these telehealth platforms may be their most affordable option, at least in the short term.

“I’m a primary care doctor and can understand why a person who doesn’t need a lot of health care might think, ‘I just want to be on a pill. Why should I have to wait weeks or months to see a doctor so I can have access to it?’ It’s reasonable for people to have options,” says Benjamin Rome, M.D., a health policy researcher at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Sidestepping traditional medical care and going directly to websites for drugs, however, exposes consumers to considerable dangers. These include the possibility of inappropriate prescribing and a “medication-first paradigm” that “risks glossing over the comprehensive evaluation necessary for high-quality patient care,” according to a 2025 investigative report on pharma’s financial links to telehealth prescribing entities, which was sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also tracked reports from consumers who say they are not being sufficiently warned about possible side effects from certain drugs that are frequently prescribed on telemedicine platforms.

For Luke Tyler, such factors contributed to a downward spiral that ended with his overdose death by suicide on Hims-prescribed antidepressants in his college dorm room, according to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the college freshman’s parents, Colleen and John Tyler, in November 2025.

The complaint alleges that as part of their “reckless and/or conscious disregard for Luke’s health and safety,” the Hims clinicians who engaged with Tyler, “failed to inform Luke of material facts relating to his mental health treatment, including the risks and alternatives” of the medication that was prescribed to him.

Telehealth vs. Teleprescribing

Ushered into the mainstream by the COVID pandemic and lockdown, telehealth now plays many valuable roles in American healthcare, especially when coordinated with a patient’s existing healthcare team, according to Jack S. Resneck, M.D., chair of dermatology and a digital telehealth researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.

“It can be a convenient way to consult your usual in-person physician for certain issues that don’t require an in-person examination. Video visits can be especially useful for patients who don’t live near their doctors — saving long commutes and missed work for follow-up care. And in some cases, even complex specialty consultations can be carried out through telehealth — especially when a patient’s insurance covers it, and there are local options for in-person backup when needed,” says Dr. Resneck.

There is also telehealth that is “medication driven,” as is the case with Hims & Hers, Ro, Kick, and a rapidly growing roster of companies across the globe.

This kind of teleprescribing flips the traditional healthcare model on its head: Targeted marketing promotes medication for a variety of common ills. Then, “instead of going to a specific doctor with a complaint and leaving it to the doctor to diagnose and determine best treatment, patients directly contact online prescribers already knowing the treatment, and very often the specific medication, that they want,” says Ateev Mehrotra, M.D., MPH, a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University’s School of Public Health.

“Instead of going to a specific doctor with a complaint and leaving it to the doctor to diagnose and determine best treatment, patients directly contact online prescribers already knowing the treatment, and very often the specific medication, that they want.”

Some of these online businesses charge a relatively low fee for a virtual appointment with a prescribing provider, such as an M.D. or nurse practitioner, while others “comp” the consult as part of their medication subscription deal. Some companies accept insurance, but most do not. Some have their own pharmacy operations, others use outside pharmacies to fill prescriptions and deliver medications.

What these medication-driven companies generally have in common — unlike traditional healthcare practitioners who have no direct financial incentive to put their patients on medication — is that they make their money selling the drugs that their hired clinicians prescribe.

“We refer to this type of telehealth as direct-to-consumer (DTC) teleprescribing,” says Erin Fuse Brown, JD, MPH, also a professor of health services, policy, and practice at Brown.

Prescriptions, Yes, But Is It Healthcare?

Many who turn to companies like Hims & Hers are satisfied with the service and medications they receive. For others, relying on DTC teleprescribing platforms, which may excel at marketing but often fall short on explanations around side effects and follow-up, can be disappointing at best.

Five days after starting the generic drug tadalafil, prescribed by Hims for his erectile dysfunction (ED), 55-year-old M, an engineer living in Northern California, says he developed significant back pain. “There were no side effects mentioned during my 10-minute messaging exchange online. I only found out the pain could be related to my medication after I went back and looked at the little insert that came with it.”

When M cancelled his medication subscription, checking “side effects” online as the reason for his decision, “there was zero follow-up to find out what the side effects were or to suggest alternative treatments,” M says. “The only thing I got was a message saying they were sad to see me go and they’d be glad to see me back if I changed my mind… It felt as much like a medical transaction as buying ibuprofen from Amazon.”

More Medication, Less Vigilance

M’s experience is familiar to Fuse Brown and Dr. Mehrotra, who have closely tracked the rise of DTC teleprescribing, particularly pharmaceutical companies’ paid partnerships with telehealth platforms that prescribe their brand-name drugs.

“This form of telehealth, with its targeted marketing, has turned healthcare into a commercial transaction,” says Fuse Brown. “The difference is that, unlike ordering shampoo on Amazon or French fries from Uber Eats, there are clinical risks when drugs are prescribed.”

“This form of telehealth, with its targeted marketing, has turned healthcare into a commercial transaction. The difference is that, unlike ordering shampoo on Amazon or French fries from Uber Eats, there are clinical risks when drugs are prescribed.”

That Hims seemed interested in little more than selling M. medication illustrates one of these risks. Namely, health issues aren’t always as simple as they may seem. When it comes to ED, for instance, seeing a provider who can do a thorough exam is vital, since “ample evidence indicates that ED is a risk marker for the presence of treatable underlying medical conditions [such as diabetes and heart disease] that, left untreated, reduce quality and length of life,” according to the American Urological Association. Further, instead of leaving M still struggling with ED, a traditional provider might have recommended alternative treatments or referred him to a specialist who could help him find relief.

In 19-year-old Luke Tyler’s case, court documents allege that a nurse practitioner prescribed his bupropion via the Hims messaging platform without speaking with Tyler by phone or video, which violated Washington State’s standard of care for telehealth at the time. (That policy became law in 2024.)

In the time leading up to Tyler’s death, the lawsuit alleges that the nurse practitioner again failed to schedule a video or phone consultation, even after doubling his dose of bupropion when he replied to a Hims follow-up message that he had “been more irritable lately.” No alternative care was suggested when Tyler informed Hims in November 2022 that he’d stopped taking his medication because it made him feel worse and wanted to cancel his subscription.

Court filings allege that after Tyler submitted his cancellation request, he received no additional follow-up from a Hims provider, besides a message from a doctor via the Hims platform telling him that since he’d already stopped taking his medication, he “shouldn’t need to taper” off as is generally recommended. This lack of real follow-up was a crucial lapse in care and counseling, according to court documents, since stopping bupropion and other antidepressants abruptly can increase the risk of self-harm.

The lawsuit filed by the Tyler family against Hims & Hers Health and its providers clearly links the defendants’ “dangerous, profit-driven scheme” to his death. The complaint further calls out the company as “nothing more than a pretext…to prescribe, sell and ship prescription medication to ‘subscribers’ without any actual attempt or intent to provide those subscribers mental healthcare services.”

MedShadow contacted Hims & Hers Health on multiple occasions about the Tyler case and their business practices, but received no answers to their specific inquiries nor a statement regarding the Tyler case.

A Black Hole of Accountability

Such concerns are shared by advocates and political leaders as DTC teleprescribing platforms increasingly and aggressively market medication to consumers via television, billboards, and all manner of social media. In 2023, 13 telehealth entities spent a combined total of $111 million on television ads, double the amount in 2019, according to an analysis from iSpot.tv, an ad-tracking company. Many promote their medicated treatment without mentioning potential side effects, which traditional drug companies are required to do by federal law.

What’s more, besides lawsuits, user reviews on platforms like Reddit, and customer surveys sponsored and publicized by telehealth platforms themselves, there’s scant information available about the quality of care that’s being provided.

“The data isn’t public, it’s a black hole. When services are billed to a health plan, claims and related data offer at least some insight. In cash-only models, that transparency is largely absent,” says Dr. Mehrotra. And, besides some warnings issued by the FDA about misleading advertising and promotion, regulation of these companies is sorely wanting, continues Dr. Mehrotra. “Anyone could launch a website and start selling medication,” he says.

“When services are billed to a health plan, claims and related data offer at least some insight. In cash-only models, that transparency is largely absent.”

That “anyone” could be a New York-based venture like Ro, contracting with licensed prescribers and celebrity endorsers. A Google search can also lead an unsuspecting consumer to an offshore operation selling bootleg medication “with no prescription, no medical oversight, and no safety controls,” as alleged by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong in his investigation of one such entity in 2025.

A Revolving Roster of Rx Pads for Hire

During the three months he corresponded with Hims Health online, Luke Tyler interacted on the Hims platform with a few different clinicians. This isn’t unusual. At any given time, a consumer like Tyler might engage with an M.D. or D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine), though physicians often hand off care to mid-level licensed prescribers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

For such providers, teleprescribing can be a convenient side hustle or a full-time gig. Some even make it a goal to become “51ers,” obtaining licenses in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. With multiple licenses under their belt, they can sign on as independent contractors with teleprescribing platforms.

“As such, patients are unlikely to interface with long-term providers with a vested interest in improving their health. Rather, the reliance on contractors creates the potential for prescription pads for hire from a doctor [or other provider] that the patient may never see again,” concluded the 2025 report sponsored by four U.S. senators.

In Tyler’s case, the psychiatrist who first messaged him wasn’t even licensed to practice medicine in Washington State at the time of their online encounter.

After that initial correspondence, Tyler was handed over to a prescriber who initially introduced himself on the Hims messaging platform as “Dr. Mabry, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.” Tyler wouldn’t have known that Mabry — who “developed” the college student’s “personal treatment plan”— had earned a doctoral degree in psychology from a for-profit university’s online degree program. The lawsuit alleges that holding himself out as “Dr.” in his ongoing interactions with Hims subscribers was deceptive, since it may have led some to erroneously assume that Mabry was a physician.

Inaccurate and Hard-to-Access Provider Info

“Patients at a minimum have a right to know the training and qualifications of the person who is treating them,” says Dr. Resneck. Finding out that information, however, can be difficult for potential and existing DTC teleprescribing customers.

As an experiment, I logged onto the weight loss website TrimRx, filled out a form, and was routed to a page recommending a medicated regimen and requesting payment information. A note advised that payment wouldn’t be put through until a provider had reviewed the submission. There was no information, however, about who that provider was or what their qualifications were. In other words, I would have been charged $948 before I knew who approved the prescription — or had the chance to ask them a single question.

Claims about expert clinical leadership can also be vague or outright untrue. On a page about “Our Doctors” on their website, Kick Health names Yale physician Robert Attaran as one of the “leading experts in psychology, medicine, and emotional fitness” they have “partnered with” in their treatment of performance anxiety. Beneath a sketch of Attaran, there’s a quote attributed to him stating that beta blockers (which Kick prescribes) can help “control the physiological symptoms of stress.”

When contacted, however, Dr. Attaran told MedShadow that, while Kick initially consulted him when they launched, he isn’t currently partnered with the company and “they’re just using my image/picture without permission.”

Kick Health did not respond to several MedShadow requests for information about its prescribers and advisors.

Compounding the Problem

DTC teleprescribing platforms sell varied formulations of popular medications. Some offer generic drugs. Others partner with pharmaceutical companies and sell name-brand medications. Some do a mix of both.

The GLP-1 Boom, and the Compounding Loophole

DTC teleprescribing has grown steadily over the years. But nothing could have prepared the market for the rise of GLP-1s.

GLP-1s, which you’ve likely seen advertised just about everywhere [including Ro ads with a newly svelte Serena Williams posturing as their poster woman], are glucagon-like peptide 1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). They have emerged as the “magic bullet” for treating overweight and obesity.

With consumers clamoring for access to these patented drugs (which are also used to treat diabetes), shortages were officially announced in 2022. In such cases, the FDA grants temporary licenses for specialized “compounding pharmacies” to formulate and sell non-FDA-approved alternatives made with FDA-approved ingredients.

Seizing the opportunity, teleprescribing platforms beefed up their compounding capacity and began marketing and selling compounded GLP-1s on a massive scale. Some platforms, like Hims & Hers, have their own compounding pharmacies. Other platforms contract out to independent operations.

GLP-1s are no longer in short supply. But that hasn’t staunched the flow of compounded GLP-1s flooding the online marketplace. That’s because DTC teleprescribers are taking advantage of another legal allowance for drug compounding. Namely, compounders are permitted to formulate medication using patented ingredients when they customize them to patients’ specific needs. Typically, a compounding pharmacy might prepare a liquid formula for a child who can’t swallow pills. Or they might formulate a dye-free version of a medication for someone who is allergic.

DTC teleprescribers have taken advantage of this customization allowance for years by selling “personalized formulas” for other conditions, like hair loss. For GLP-1s, that might mean selling customized “microdoses” in amounts not offered by the patent-holding manufacturer. Or combining the GLP-1 with a vitamin or other medication to create a “customized formula.”

You may be among the millions who want “in” on GLP-1s. But put your personal safety first. If you have a healthcare provider, start with them and see if they’ll prescribe. If you ultimately decide to buy online, a platform that sells brand-name, FDA-approved GLP-1s will be your safest bet. If you decide to go with a compounded formula, use only U.S.-based platforms and verify that the pharmacies they use are licensed to formulate and sell drugs in your state. Then be sure to let all of your healthcare providers know that you’ve added a GLP-1 to your medication roster.

Many platforms also market what are known as compounded medications. These custom-formulated drugs made by specialized compounding pharmacies frequently use ingredients approved by the FDA, but the formulations themselves are not FDA approved, and the agency doesn’t certify them for safety, quality, or effectiveness.

This lack of approval doesn’t necessarily mean compounded drugs are dangerous or unregulated. Following a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis that was traced to safety lapses at a Massachusetts compounding facility in 2012, oversight of compounding in the U.S. has been strengthened considerably. Pharmacies that do large-scale compounding for businesses like DTC teleprescribing platforms must adhere to strict Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements enforced by the FDA.

Still, there have been issues related to the safety of formulas compounded for the mass market and the extent to which consumers are informed about side effects and proper usage. In 2025, the FDA issued a warning about adverse reactions linked to compounded topical finasteride, which is sold as a treatment for hair loss through a number of DTC teleprescribing sites. The FDA warning states that “absorption through the skin into the bloodstream is expected,” with these products, and that the adverse effects reported, which include sexual dysfunction and depression, are consistent with the side effects of oral finasteride. However, it says, many online customers claimed that they hadn’t been warned about side effects or were led to believe topical finasteride didn’t pose the same risks.

Of even greater concern is the door that DTC teleprescribing has blown open for illegal or improperly compounded and packaged drugs to enter the marketplace. This is particularly evident with the hugely popular weight loss drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), which are being compounded and sold by hundreds if not thousands of DTC sites.

A 2024 study of more than 300 online pharmacies purporting to sell the GLP-1 semaglutide found that “nearly one-half belong to illegal pharmacy operations….with vendors selling unregistered and falsified products.”

In its February 2026 alert about the risks associated with compounded GLP-1s, the FDA called attention to complaints that injectable GLP-1 drugs had “arrived warm or with inadequate ice packs to keep the drug at recommended storage temperatures.”

In Connecticut’s investigation of illegal teleprescribing, the state’s Attorney General alleged that two companies, Made in China and Triggered Brand, were selling “research-grade” GLP-1 drugs that were only intended for laboratory studies and not for human use. According to the complaint filed, studies have found that bootleg GLP-1s “can contain impurities, potential bacterial contamination, and inconsistent quantities of active ingredients, which can result in medication overdoses.”

“Yes, there are rules about compounding,” says Dr. Rome. “But it’s a slippery slope once you allow compounding at a mass scale. The question is how effectively the FDA will be able to regulate and make sure that these medications being sold are safe and effective.”

The Fracturing of Care

Consumers now shop for healthcare like they shop for just about everything else: They patronize the provider that can give them what they want, when they want it, at the price that makes sense.

A typical individual, for instance, might now get their tetanus shot at a nearby chain pharmacy, their sore throat swabbed at an urgent care clinic, and their knee surgery at a city hospital hours away from home. If that person wants a GLP-1 to lose some weight but their primary care provider (if they have one) recommends diet and exercise instead, they can turn to a DTC teleprescribing platform and likely get what they want.

Multiply this scenario by millions, and you have a health care landscape littered with fractured patient histories.

Electronic medical records track and centralize patient histories to some extent. But “my impression is that most [DTC teleprescribing platforms] are still not uploading their notes into these data sharing platforms,” says Dr. Resneck.

Further complicating matters, when consumers pay out of pocket for drugs, like many do with DTC teleprescribers, there’s no insurance record. “The only people that have a record are the prescriber and the pharmacy that fills the prescription,” says Joey Mattingly, PharmD, Ph.D, vice chair of research at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.

That can mean if you show up in an emergency room and aren’t able to communicate, your care team may have no way to find out what you’re taking if you paid out of pocket for medication online.

This fracturing of care has led to deadly consequences already. In June 2021, 22-year-old Ania Sohail of Manchester, England, ordered propranolol on seven different occasions from four online platforms. This blood pressure medication is aggressively marketed online as a treatment for performance and social anxiety. On each questionnaire, Sohail denied having a mental health disorder and didn’t consent for the prescribers to share information with her general practitioner.

Each platform sent the prescribed medication to Sohail, which she then used to overdose and die by suicide. Because Sohail’s online prescribers weren’t linked to a common database, they had no idea of how many pills were sent to her in total. What’s more, because they had no access to Soleil’s health records and never laid eyes on her, they had no idea she was an inpatient at a psychiatric facility and was picking up her medication when she went home to visit.

Not every online medication experience ends in such tragedy. However, with the transition from being healthcare patients to healthcare customers comes responsibility and risk.

How to Protect Yourself

With that in mind, think carefully if getting medication from a DTC teleprescribing site has piqued your interest. Are you opting for an online purchase because it’s fast and convenient? Because it seems cheaper than paying for a traditional doctor’s appointment? Because it’s private and lets you avoid a potentially cringy in-person conversation with a doctor? Are you sure that the medication you want is the medication you need, or just something that slick marketing has convinced you to buy?

If you decide to move forward, ask questions about side effects and the medication that’s recommended before you commit to any subscription. Buy only from sites that have a physical address in the United States and will share the names of the pharmacies they work with so that you can then verify that these pharmacies are licensed in your state.

Above all, be honest with yourself and with your providers. No matter how much you might want a medication you believe will help you lose weight or feel less anxious, don’t omit anything from the online questionnaires about your health history.

If you end up ordering an online prescription, add the new medication to your paperwork the next time you’re at a doctor’s office or via your clinicians’ online portal.

Also, “don’t skip being open and honest with your provider just to avoid an awkward interaction,” says Mattingly. “It’s their responsibility not to make you feel bad” about your decisions.

Your provider may even offer to prescribe the drug you want, very possibly at a lower cost and with more investment in your well-being than you’ll get from an online prescriber. If they still push back, “don’t just think they are being a pain in the butt. They may be giving advice for you to think about,” says Mattingly. “At some point, you have to take responsibility. It’s great to have agency and autonomy and make your own decisions. And it’s also scary as hell.”

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                    <!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Soon after starting his freshman year at <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/kxly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/14/91420d26-018b-48cb-89d8-aea887e895f3/691632e31fcf4.pdf.pdf">Washington State University in 2022, Luke Tyler spotted an Instagram ad</a> that offered hope for his anxiety and undiagnosed depression. It was sponsored by <a href="https://investors.hims.com/news/news-details/2026/Hims--Hers-Expands-Personalized-Weight-Loss-Portfolio-with-Access-to-Compounded-Semaglutide-Pills-Starting-at-49Month/default.aspx">Hims & Hers Health, Inc.,</a> one of the many online platforms that now market and prescribe mail-order medications for a range of common health conditions.</p>
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<p>Tyler clicked on the ad, completed a brief online questionnaire, and was up front about his <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/kxly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/14/91420d26-018b-48cb-89d8-aea887e895f3/691632e31fcf4.pdf.pdf">“bad self-harm habits. “I’ve been wanted [sic] to look into medication for a while,” he wrote,</a> adding that he sought “<a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/kxly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/14/91420d26-018b-48cb-89d8-aea887e895f3/691632e31fcf4.pdf.pdf">a healthier way to cope without involving an expensive therapist, or worrying my parents.”</a></p>
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<p>Every day, millions like Tyler engage with telehealth ads that promise medicated relief for chronic and non-urgent health needs ranging from hair loss to hot flashes. <a href="https://investors.hims.com/news/news-details/2025/Hims--Hers-Health-Inc--Reports-Third-Quarter-2025-Financial-Results/default.aspx">According to the company’s quarterly report to investors, more than 2.5 million people</a> now subscribe to Hims & Hers, up 13% from this time in 2025. </p>
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<p>There are many reasons why consumers find online prescribing platforms attractive: These businesses — which are often self-pay only — make it easy, private, and quick to get the drugs they want, without the time spent and potentially high cost of seeing a healthcare provider in person, wrangling with insurance companies, or justifying their desire for a particular prescription. For <a href="https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/unpacking-the-federal-drug-price-reduction-struggle/">those with no insurance or high deductibles,</a> self-paying for medication through these telehealth platforms may be their most affordable option, at least in the short term.</p>
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<p>“I’m a primary care doctor and can understand why a person who doesn’t need a lot of health care might think, ‘I just want to be on a pill. Why should I have to wait weeks or months to see a doctor so I can have access to it?’ It’s reasonable for people to have options<a href="https://www.portalresearch.org/benjamin-rome.html">,” says Benjamin Rome, M.D.,</a> a health policy researcher at Harvard Medical School in Boston.</p>
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<p>Sidestepping traditional medical care and going directly to websites for drugs, however, exposes consumers to considerable dangers. These include the possibility of inappropriate prescribing and a “medication-first paradigm” that “risks glossing over the comprehensive evaluation necessary for high-quality patient care,” according to a <a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/DTC%20Investigation%202025.pdf">2025 investigative report on pharma’s financial links to telehealth prescribing entities,</a> which was sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT).<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-alerts-health-care-providers-compounders-and-consumers-potential-risks-associated-compounded"> </a></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/fda-alerts-health-care-providers-compounders-and-consumers-potential-risks-associated-compounded">The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also tracked reports</a> from consumers who say they are not being sufficiently warned about possible side effects from certain drugs that are frequently prescribed on telemedicine platforms. </p>
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<p>For Luke Tyler, such factors contributed to a downward spiral that ended with his overdose death by suicide on Hims-prescribed antidepressants in his college dorm room, according to the <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/kxly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/14/91420d26-018b-48cb-89d8-aea887e895f3/691632e31fcf4.pdf.pdf">wrongful death lawsuit filed by the college freshman’s parents, Colleen and John Tyler, in November 2025. </a></p>
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<p>The complaint alleges that as part of their “reckless and/or conscious disregard for Luke’s health and safety,” the Hims clinicians who engaged with Tyler, “failed to inform Luke of material facts relating to his mental health treatment, including the risks and alternatives” of the medication that was prescribed to him.    </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Telehealth vs. Teleprescribing</h2>
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<p>Ushered into the mainstream by the COVID pandemic and lockdown, telehealth now plays many valuable roles in American healthcare, especially when coordinated with a patient’s existing healthcare team, according to <a href="https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/jack-s-resneck">Jack S. Resneck, M.D</a>., chair of dermatology and a digital telehealth researcher at the University of California, San Francisco.</p>
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<p>“It can be a convenient way to consult your usual in-person physician for certain issues that don’t require an in-person examination. Video visits can be especially useful for patients who don’t live near their doctors — saving long commutes and missed work for follow-up care. And in some cases, even complex specialty consultations can be carried out through telehealth — especially when a patient’s insurance covers it, and there are local options for in-person backup when needed,” says Dr. Resneck. </p>
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<p>There is also telehealth that is “medication driven,” as is the case with <a href="https://www.hims.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=14647269025&utm_term=131063351270--kwd-892622478607&utm_content=795312965033&mt=e&utm_platform=c&utm_product=b_general_brand&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=14647269025&gbraid=0AAAAADFkx_UzOGPyUAQ2neR0sMlWY89PG&gclid=CjwKCAiAkbbMBhB2EiwANbxtbZy5A18OC3snc8EJSBEvE8t8mZxN_xwUdSPVYGnahN6CJmTFN7QohxoCv3EQAvD_BwE">Hims & Hers,</a> <a href="https://ro.co/">Ro</a>, <a href="https://www.gokick.com/">Kick</a>, and a rapidly growing roster of companies across the globe. </p>
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<p>This kind of teleprescribing flips the traditional healthcare model on its head: Targeted marketing promotes medication for a variety of common ills. Then, “instead of going to a specific doctor with a complaint and leaving it to the doctor to diagnose and determine best treatment, patients directly contact online prescribers already knowing the treatment, and very often the specific medication, that they want,” says <a href="https://vivo.brown.edu/display/amehro15">Ateev Mehrotra, M.D., MPH</a>, a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University’s School of Public Health. </p>
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<p>“Instead of going to a specific doctor with a complaint and leaving it to the doctor to diagnose and determine best treatment, patients directly contact online prescribers already knowing the treatment, and very often the specific medication, that they want.”</p>
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<p>Some of these online businesses charge a relatively low fee for a virtual appointment with a prescribing provider, such as an M.D. or nurse practitioner, while others “comp” the consult as part of their medication subscription deal. Some companies accept insurance, but most do not. Some <a href="https://news.hims.com/newsroom/building-our-pharmacy-operations-with-the-customer-in-mind">have their own</a> pharmacy operations, others use outside pharmacies t<a href="https://trimrx.com/about-us">o fill prescriptions</a> and deliver medications. </p>
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<p>What these medication-driven companies generally have in common — unlike traditional healthcare practitioners who have no direct financial incentive to put their patients on medication — is that they make their money selling the drugs that their hired clinicians prescribe.</p>
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<p>“We refer to this type of telehealth as direct-to-consumer (DTC) teleprescribing,” says Erin Fuse Brown, JD, MPH, also a professor of health services, policy, and practice at Brown.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prescriptions, Yes, But Is It Healthcare?</h2>
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<p>Many who turn to companies like Hims & Hers are satisfied with the service and medications they receive. For others, relying on DTC teleprescribing platforms, which may excel at marketing but often fall short on explanations around side effects and follow-up, can be disappointing at best.</p>
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<p>Five days after starting the generic drug tadalafil, prescribed by Hims for his erectile dysfunction (ED), 55-year-old M, an engineer living in Northern California, says he developed significant back pain. “There were no side effects mentioned during my 10-minute messaging exchange online. I only found out the pain could be related to my medication after I went back and looked at the little insert that came with it.” </p>
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<p>When M cancelled his medication subscription, checking “side effects” online as the reason for his decision, “there was zero follow-up to find out what the side effects were or to suggest alternative treatments,” M says. “The only thing I got was a message saying they were sad to see me go and they’d be glad to see me back if I changed my mind… It felt as much like a medical transaction as buying ibuprofen from Amazon.”</p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">More Medication, Less Vigilance</h3>
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<p>M’s experience is familiar to Fuse Brown and Dr. Mehrotra, who have closely tracked the rise of DTC teleprescribing, particularly pharmaceutical companies’ paid partnerships with telehealth platforms that prescribe their brand-name drugs.</p>
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<p>“This form of telehealth, with its targeted marketing, has turned healthcare into a commercial transaction,” says Fuse Brown. “The difference is that, unlike ordering shampoo on Amazon or French fries from Uber Eats, there are clinical risks when drugs are prescribed.” </p>
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<p>“This form of telehealth, with its targeted marketing, has turned healthcare into a commercial transaction. The difference is that, unlike ordering shampoo on Amazon or French fries from Uber Eats, there are clinical risks when drugs are prescribed.” </p>
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<p>That Hims seemed interested in little more than selling M. medication illustrates one of these risks. Namely, health issues aren’t always as simple as they may seem. When it comes to ED, for instance, seeing a provider who can do a thorough exam is vital, since “ample evidence indicates that ED is a risk marker for the presence of treatable underlying medical conditions [such as diabetes and heart disease] that, left untreated, reduce quality and length of life,” according to the <a href="https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/erectile-dysfunction-(ed)-guideline">American Urological Association.</a> Further, instead of leaving M still struggling with ED, a traditional provider might have recommended alternative treatments or referred him to a specialist who could help him find relief.</p>
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<p>In 19-year-old Luke Tyler’s case, court documents allege that a nurse practitioner prescribed his bupropion via the Hims messaging platform without speaking with Tyler by phone or video, which violated Washington State’s standard of care for telehealth at the time. (That policy became law in 2024.) </p>
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<p>In the time leading up to Tyler’s death, the lawsuit alleges that the nurse practitioner again failed to schedule a video or phone consultation, even after doubling his dose of bupropion when he replied to a Hims follow-up message that he had “<a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/kxly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/14/91420d26-018b-48cb-89d8-aea887e895f3/691632e31fcf4.pdf.pdf">been more irritable lately.”</a> No alternative care was suggested when Tyler informed Hims in November 2022 that he’d stopped taking his medication because it made him feel worse and wanted to cancel his subscription. </p>
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<p>Court filings allege that after Tyler submitted his cancellation request, he received no additional follow-up from a Hims provider, besides a message from a doctor via the Hims platform telling him that since he’d already stopped taking his medication, he “shouldn’t need to taper” off as is generally recommended. This lack of real follow-up was a crucial lapse in care and counseling, according to court documents, since stopping bupropion and other antidepressants abruptly can increase the risk of self-harm.</p>
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<p>The lawsuit filed by the Tyler family against Hims & Hers Health and its providers clearly links the defendants’ “dangerous, profit-driven scheme” to his death. The complaint further calls out the company as “nothing more than a pretext…to prescribe, sell and ship prescription medication to ‘subscribers’ without any actual attempt or intent to provide those subscribers mental healthcare services.”</p>
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<p>MedShadow contacted Hims & Hers Health on multiple occasions about the Tyler case and their business practices, but received no answers to their specific inquiries nor a statement regarding the Tyler case. </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Black Hole of Accountability</h2>
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<p>Such concerns are shared by advocates and political leaders as DTC teleprescribing platforms increasingly and aggressively market medication to consumers via television, billboards, and all manner of social media. In 2023, 13 telehealth entities spent a combined total of $111 million on television ads, double the amount in 2019, according to an analysis from <a href="http://ispot.tv">iSpot.tv</a>, an ad-tracking company. Many promote their medicated treatment without mentioning potential side effects, which traditional drug companies are required to do by federal law.  </p>
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<p>What’s more, besides lawsuits, user reviews on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskGaybrosOver30/comments/1f62nlz/anyone_tried_out_hims/">platforms like Reddit</a>, and <a href="https://investors.hims.com/news/news-details/2025/Customers-Say-Care-Through-Hims--Hers-Matches-or-Beats-the-Doctors-Office/default.aspx">customer surveys sponsored</a> and publicized by telehealth platforms themselves, there’s scant information available about the quality of care that’s being provided.</p>
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<p>“The data isn’t public, it’s a black hole. When services are billed to a health plan, claims and related data offer at least some insight. In cash-only models, that transparency is largely absent,” says Dr. Mehrotra. And, besides some warnings issued by the FDA about misleading advertising and promotion, regulation of these companies is sorely wanting, continues Dr. Mehrotra. “Anyone could launch a website and start selling medication,” he says.</p>
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<p>"When services are billed to a health plan, claims and related data offer at least some insight. In cash-only models, that transparency is largely absent.”</p>
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<p>That “anyone” could be a <a href="https://ro.co/careers/">New York-based venture like Ro</a>, contracting with licensed prescribers and celebrity endorsers. A Google search can also lead an unsuspecting consumer to an offshore operation selling bootleg medication “with no prescription, no medical oversight, and no safety controls,” as alleged by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong in his investigation of one such entity in 2025.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Revolving Roster of Rx Pads for Hire </h2>
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<p>During the three months he corresponded with Hims Health online, Luke Tyler interacted on the Hims platform with a few different clinicians. This isn’t unusual. At any given time, a consumer like Tyler might engage with an M.D. or D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine), though physicians often hand off care to mid-level licensed prescribers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants. </p>
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<p>For such providers, teleprescribing can be a convenient side hustle or a full-time gig. Some even make it a goal to become “<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bryan-blair_one-doctor-just-spent-180k-to-get-medical-activity-7383479133437054976-CD9R/">51ers,”</a> obtaining licenses in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. With multiple licenses under their belt, they can sign on as independent contractors with teleprescribing platforms. </p>
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<p>“As such, patients are unlikely to interface with long-term providers with a vested interest in improving their health. Rather, the reliance on contractors creates the potential for prescription pads for hire from a doctor [or other provider] that the patient may never see again,” concluded the 2025<a href="https://www.durbin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/DTC%20Investigation%202025.pdf"> report sponsored by four U.S. senators.</a></p>
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<p>In Tyler’s case, the psychiatrist who first messaged him wasn’t even licensed to practice medicine in Washington State at the time of their online encounter.</p>
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<p>After that initial correspondence, Tyler was handed over to a prescriber who initially introduced himself on the Hims messaging platform as <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/kxly.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/14/91420d26-018b-48cb-89d8-aea887e895f3/691632e31fcf4.pdf.pdf">“Dr. Mabry, a</a> psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.” Tyler wouldn’t have known that Mabry — who “developed” the college student’s “personal treatment plan”— had <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gregory-mabry-psyd-lcsw-pmhnp-bc-0a0b1281/details/education/">earned a doctoral degree in psychology from a for-profit university’s online degree program</a>. The lawsuit alleges that holding himself out as “Dr.” in his ongoing interactions with Hims subscribers was deceptive, since it may have led some to erroneously assume that Mabry was a physician. </p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Inaccurate and Hard-to-Access Provider Info</h3>
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<p>“Patients at a minimum have a right to know the training and qualifications of the person who is treating them,” says Dr. <a href="https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/jack-s-resneck">Resneck</a>. Finding out that information, however, can be difficult for potential and existing DTC teleprescribing customers. </p>
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<p>As an experiment, I logged onto the weight loss website <a href="https://trimrx.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoouth5S7I6Xs6adpbRQxUmkoy7EaA7tADE3HicN-QVz7HUQDfS-&_ef_transaction_id=">TrimRx,</a> filled out a form, and was routed to a page recommending a medicated regimen and requesting payment information. A note advised that payment wouldn’t be put through until a provider had reviewed the submission. There was no information, however, about who that provider was or what their qualifications were. In other words, I would have been charged $948 before I knew who approved the prescription — or had the chance to ask them a single question. </p>
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<p>Claims about expert clinical leadership can also be vague or outright untrue. On a page about “Our Doctors” on their website, Kick Health names <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/robert-attaran/">Yale physician Robert Attaran</a> as one of the “leading experts in psychology, medicine, and emotional fitness” they have “partnered with” in their treatment of performance anxiety. Beneath a sketch of Attaran, there’s a quote attributed to him stating that beta blockers (which Kick prescribes) can help “control the physiological symptoms of stress.” </p>
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<p>When contacted, however, Dr. Attaran told MedShadow that, while Kick initially consulted him when they launched, he isn’t currently partnered with the company and “they’re just using my image/picture without permission.”</p>
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<p>Kick Health did not respond to several MedShadow requests for information about its prescribers and advisors.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Compounding the Problem</h2>
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<p>DTC teleprescribing platforms sell varied formulations of popular medications. Some offer generic drugs. Others partner with pharmaceutical companies and sell name-brand medications. Some do a mix of both. </p>
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<div class="wp-block-myplugin-custom-alignment-block alignright"><h2><strong>The GLP-1 Boom, and the Compounding Loophole</strong></h2><p>DTC teleprescribing has grown steadily over the years. But nothing could have prepared the market for the rise of GLP-1s. <br><br>GLP-1s, which you’ve likely seen advertised just about everywhere [including Ro ads with a newly svelte Serena Williams posturing as their poster woman], are glucagon-like peptide 1 drugs such as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK603723/">semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy)</a> and t<a href="https://tirzepatide.lilly.com/?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20875812395&gbraid=0AAAAAoh_8M9Woj5I0ZN82Rh7Js-09RJC-&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8KTNBhD_ARIsAOvp6DL-uYDVjN5GyZvfdjEfWSKf06KyyfpXtAL0MSssqnN7VpMtoRhZBToaAiPuEALw_wcB">irzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound)</a>. They have emerged as the “magic bullet” for treating overweight and obesity.<br><br>With consumers clamoring for access to these patented drugs (which are also used to treat diabetes), <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-clarifies-policies-compounders-national-glp-1-supply-begins-stabilize">shortages were officially announced in 2022. </a>In such cases, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/human-drug-compounding/compounding-when-drugs-are-fdas-drug-shortages-list">FDA grants temporary licenses for specialized “compounding pharmacies” to formulate and sell non-FDA-approved alternatives made with FDA-approved ingredients.</a><br><br>Seizing the opportunity, teleprescribing platforms beefed up their compounding capacity and began marketing and selling compounded GLP-1s on a massive scale. Some platforms, like <a href="https://news.hims.com/newsroom/building-our-pharmacy-operations-with-the-customer-in-mind">Hims & Hers, have their own compounding pharmacies.</a> Other platforms <a href="https://mediverarx.com/telehealth/">contract out</a> to independent operations.<br><br>GLP-1s are <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/185526/download?attachment">no longer in short supply.</a> But that hasn’t staunched the flow of compounded GLP-1s flooding the online marketplace. That’s because DTC teleprescribers are taking advantage of another legal allowance for drug compounding. Namely, compounders are permitted to formulate medication using patented ingredients when they customize them to patients’ specific needs. Typically, a compounding pharmacy might prepare a liquid formula for a child who can’t swallow pills. Or they might formulate a dye-free version of a medication for someone who is allergic.   <br><br>DTC teleprescribers have taken advantage of this customization allowance for years by selling <a href="https://www.joinmidi.com/store/weight-loss?campaignid=21474728112&adgroupid=&utm_term=&matchtype=&network=x&device=c&extensionid=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=All-Blogs-url_Matchnode_Test&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21484990543&gbraid=0AAAAAofYpeemFEA-QulJMsO2LIZ9oT_vP&gclid=CjwKCAiA-__MBhAKEiwASBmsBN79kMlL-zF5BwH19CwVIKXIjrvbJxq331R5IUOKhT-d4r1tMxKx-RoCPzsQAvD_BwE">“personalized formulas</a>” for other conditions, like hair loss. For GLP-1s, that might mean selling customized “microdoses” in amounts not offered by the patent-holding manufacturer. Or combining the GLP-1 with a vitamin or other medication to create a “customized formula.”<br><br>You may be among the millions who want “in” on GLP-1s. But put your personal safety first. If you have a healthcare provider, start with them and see if they’ll prescribe. If you ultimately decide to buy online, a platform that sells brand-name, FDA-approved GLP-1s will be your safest bet. If you decide to go with a compounded formula, use only U.S.-based platforms and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/besaferx-your-source-online-pharmacy-information/locate-state-licensed-online-pharmacy">verify that the pharmacies they use are licensed </a>to formulate and sell drugs in your state. Then be sure to let all of your healthcare providers know that you’ve added a GLP-1 to your medication roster.</p></div>
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<p>Many platforms also market what are known as compounded medications. These custom-formulated drugs made by specialized compounding pharmacies frequently use ingredients approved by the FDA, but the formulations themselves are not FDA approved, and the agency doesn’t certify them for safety, quality, or effectiveness. </p>
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<p>This lack of approval doesn’t necessarily mean compounded drugs are dangerous or unregulated. Following a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis that was traced to safety lapses at a Massachusetts compounding facility in 2012, oversight of compounding in the U.S. has been strengthened considerably. Pharmacies that do large-scale compounding for businesses like DTC teleprescribing platforms must adhere to strict <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/pharmaceutical-quality-resources/facts-about-current-good-manufacturing-practice-cgmp#:~:text=CGMP%20refers%20to%20the%20Current,processing%20methods%2C%20and%20testing%20procedures.">Current Good Manufacturing Practice</a> requirements enforced by the FDA. </p>
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<p>Still, there have been issues related to the safety of formulas compounded for the mass market and the extent to which consumers are informed about side effects and proper usage. In 2025, the FDA issued a warning about adverse reactions linked to compounded topical finasteride, which is sold as a treatment for hair loss through a number of DTC teleprescribing sites. The  FDA warning states that “absorption through the skin into the bloodstream is expected,” with these products, and that the adverse effects reported, which include sexual dysfunction and depression, are consistent with the side effects of oral finasteride. However, it says, many online customers claimed that they hadn’t been warned about side effects or were led to believe topical finasteride didn’t pose the same risks. </p>
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<p><a href="https://www.naag.org/press-releases/state-and-territory-attorneys-general-urge-fda-to-take-action-against-counterfeit-and-illegally-sold-glp-1-drugs/">Of even greater concern</a> is the door that DTC teleprescribing has blown open for illegal or improperly compounded and packaged drugs <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss">to enter the marketplace.</a> This is particularly evident with the hugely popular weight loss drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), which are being compounded and sold by hundreds if not thousands of DTC sites. </p>
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<p><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821882">A 2024 study of more than 300 online pharmacies </a>purporting to sell the GLP-1 semaglutide found that “nearly one-half belong to illegal pharmacy operations….with vendors selling unregistered and falsified products.”  </p>
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<p> <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/fdas-concerns-unapproved-glp-1-drugs-used-weight-loss">In its February 2026 alert about the risks associated with compounded GLP-1s,</a> the FDA called attention to complaints that injectable GLP-1 drugs had “arrived warm or with inadequate ice packs to keep the drug at recommended storage temperatures.”</p>
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<p>In Connecticut’s investigation of illegal teleprescribing, the state’s Attorney General alleged that <a href="https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2025-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-sues-glp-1-weight-loss-drug-distributor-triggered-brand">two companies, Made in China and Triggered Brand,</a> were selling “research-grade” GLP-1 drugs that were only intended for laboratory studies and not for human use. According to the complaint filed, studies have found that bootleg GLP-1s “can contain impurities, potential bacterial contamination, and inconsistent quantities of active ingredients, which can result in medication overdoses.”</p>
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<p>“Yes, there are rules about compounding,” says Dr. Rome. “But it’s a slippery slope once you allow compounding at a mass scale. The question is how effectively the FDA will be able to regulate and make sure that these medications being sold are safe and effective.” </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Fracturing of Care </h2>
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<p>Consumers now shop for healthcare like they shop for just about everything else: They patronize the provider that can give them what they want, when they want it, at the price that makes sense. </p>
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<p>A typical individual, for instance, might now get their tetanus shot at a nearby chain pharmacy, their sore throat swabbed at an urgent care clinic, and their knee surgery at a city hospital hours away from home. If that person wants a GLP-1 to lose some weight but their primary care provider (if they have one) recommends diet and exercise instead, they can turn to a DTC teleprescribing platform and likely get what they want.</p>
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<p>Multiply this scenario by millions, and you have a health care landscape littered with fractured patient histories. </p>
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<p>Electronic medical records track and centralize patient histories to some extent. But “my impression is that most [DTC teleprescribing platforms] are still not uploading their notes into these data sharing platforms,” says Dr. Resneck.</p>
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<p>Further complicating matters, when consumers pay out of pocket for drugs, like many do with DTC teleprescribers, there’s no insurance record. “The only people that have a record are the prescriber and the pharmacy that fills the prescription,” says <a href="https://pharmacy.utah.edu/staff/joey-mattingly">Joey Mattingly, PharmD, Ph.D, vice chair of research at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy.</a> </p>
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<p>That can mean if you show up in an emergency room and aren’t able to communicate, your care team may have no way to find out what you’re taking if you paid out of pocket for medication online. </p>
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<p>This fracturing of care has led to deadly consequences already. <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/ania-sohail-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/">In June 2021, 22-year-old Ania Sohail of Manchester, England, ordered propranolol on seven dif</a>ferent occasions from four online platforms. This blood pressure medication is aggressively marketed online as a treatment for performance and social anxiety. On each questionnaire, Sohail denied having a mental health disorder and didn’t consent for the prescribers to share information with her general practitioner. </p>
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<p>Each platform sent the prescribed medication to Sohail, which she then used to overdose and die by suicide. <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/prevention-of-future-death-reports/ania-sohail-prevention-of-future-deaths-report/">Because Sohail’s online prescribers weren’t linked to a common database,</a> they had no idea of how many pills were sent to her in total. What’s more, because they had no access to Soleil’s health records and never laid eyes on her, they had no idea she was an inpatient at a psychiatric facility and was picking up her medication when she went home to visit. </p>
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<p>Not every online medication experience ends in such tragedy. However, with the transition from being healthcare patients to healthcare customers comes responsibility and risk. </p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to Protect Yourself</h2>
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<p>With that in mind, think carefully if getting medication from a DTC teleprescribing site has piqued your interest. Are you opting for an online purchase because it’s fast and convenient? Because it seems cheaper than paying for a traditional doctor’s appointment? Because it’s private and lets you avoid a potentially cringy in-person conversation with a doctor? Are you sure that the medication you want is the medication you need, or just something that slick marketing has convinced you to buy? </p>
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<p>If you decide to move forward, ask questions about side effects and the medication that’s recommended before you commit to any subscription. Buy only from sites that have a physical address in the United States and will share the names of the pharmacies they work with so that y<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/besaferx-your-source-online-pharmacy-information/locate-state-licensed-online-pharmacy">ou can then verify that these pharmacies are licensed in your state. </a></p>
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<p>Above all, be honest with yourself and with your providers. No matter how much you might want a medication you believe will help you lose weight or feel less anxious, don’t omit anything from the online questionnaires about your health history. </p>
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<p>If you end up ordering an online prescription, add the new medication to your paperwork the next time you’re at a doctor’s office or via your clinicians’ online portal.</p>
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<p>Also, “don’t skip being open and honest with your provider just to avoid an awkward interaction,” says Mattingly. “It’s their responsibility not to make you feel bad” about your decisions. </p>
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<p>Your provider may even offer to prescribe the drug you want, very possibly at a lower cost and with more investment in your well-being than you’ll get from an online prescriber. If they still push back, “don’t just think they are being a pain in the butt. They may be giving advice for you to think about,” says Mattingly. “At some point, you have to take responsibility. It’s great to have agency and autonomy and make your own decisions. And it’s also scary as hell.”</p>
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It’s Easier Than Ever To Get A Prescription Online. That Might Be A Problem

Telehealth vs. Teleprescribing