Study: Online GLP-1 Prescriptions Fast, Light on Oversight
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- A Yale University researcher published a secret shopper study in JAMA on Monday, documenting practices at nearly 50 telehealth sites that prescribe GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
- The researcher posed as a patient to capture the real-world experience of obtaining an online GLP-1 prescription.
- Direct-to-consumer telehealth companies have grown rapidly to meet patient demand for GLP-1s like semaglutide and tirzepatide, especially after shortages opened a market for compounded versions not approved by the FDA.
- The study found it is 'extraordinarily fast and easy' to get a GLP-1 online, reflecting concerns clinicians and public health experts have raised about lax virtual care practices putting patients at risk.
Why it matters: Nearly 50 telehealth sites were documented in this secret shopper study, providing empirical evidence that clinical screening at online GLP-1 prescribers is minimal even as demand for drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide — and their FDA-unapproved compounded alternatives — continues to surge.
