Getting a GLP-1 prescription online comes down to four steps: complete an intake, have a licensed provider review it, get matched to a medication and dose, and have it shipped. At TelosRX the intake takes about five minutes and review is asynchronous, so there is no appointment to book. Approval is not guaranteed.
Intake, review, match, ship. You answer health questions online, a US-licensed provider reviews your history, a medication and starting dose are matched to you, and it arrives with free two-day shipping. Compounded medication is not FDA-approved and is subject to medical approval by a licensed provider. If you are declined, you pay nothing.
Start your intake →Step one: complete the online intake
The intake is a structured set of health questions. It covers your height and weight, medical history, current medications and supplements, allergies, and what you are hoping treatment will do.
It takes about five minutes if you have your information to hand. Having a recent weight and a list of your medications ready makes it faster.
Answer completely and honestly, including anything you would rather not mention. The questions exist to catch contraindications, and leaving something out does not get you approved faster. It gets you assessed on incomplete information.
Questions about pregnancy, thyroid cancer history, pancreatitis, and gallbladder disease are there for specific clinical reasons. Take them seriously.
Step two: a licensed provider reviews it
A US-licensed provider reads your intake. Review is asynchronous, which means it happens without a scheduled video call, and it is often completed within hours.
The provider is assessing eligibility, not processing an order. They are checking whether GLP-1 medication is clinically appropriate for you, and whether anything in your history rules it out or needs more information.
Sometimes they will come back with follow-up questions. That is a good sign rather than a delay, because it means someone is reading carefully.
Approval is not guaranteed. A provider may decline, or may recommend something different from what you expected. If you are declined, you pay nothing.
Key takeaway: The intake is a clinical assessment, not a checkout form. What you write decides what a provider can safely prescribe, so complete it properly.
Step three: your medication and dose are matched
If you are approved, the provider selects a molecule, a format, and a starting dose. All three are clinical decisions based on your intake rather than a menu choice.
At TelosRX the options include compounded semaglutide, as low as $99 a month, and compounded tirzepatide, as low as $139 a month.
If tolerance is a concern, the microdosed tirzepatide protocol, as low as $116 a month, follows a gentler curve. It suits people who have struggled with digestive side effects before.
If injections are the obstacle, the needle-free oral GLP-1 is taken daily by mouth, from $9 a day, and covers oral semaglutide or oral tirzepatide at the clinician's discretion.
Step four: your medication ships
Once a prescription is written, it goes to one of the partner compounding pharmacies. Shipping is free and takes two days.
Your first package includes what you need to get started. If anything is unclear when it arrives, message the care team rather than improvising. Messaging is unlimited and included in the plan.
From there, the plan continues. Dose adjustments are included, quarterly labs are included, and you can cancel at any time with no fee.
Plans are FSA and HSA eligible. TelosRX is LegitScript-certified and operates as an online-first telehealth service.
What to have ready before you start
A little preparation makes the intake quicker and the assessment better.
- Your current height and a recent weight.
- A full list of medications and supplements, including doses if you know them.
- Any known allergies.
- Recent lab results if you have them.
- Your personal and family medical history, particularly thyroid, pancreatic, and gallbladder conditions.
- Any previous experience with GLP-1 medication, including what went wrong.
That last item matters more than people expect. If a previous attempt failed because of side effects, a provider can plan around it.
Who is not eligible
Some exclusions are absolute. GLP-1 medication is not appropriate during pregnancy or while trying to conceive, and providers will not prescribe it in those circumstances.
A personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer rules it out, as does multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2. These are not judgement calls.
A history of pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, severe gastrointestinal conditions, or certain other medications needs careful assessment. That may mean more questions rather than an automatic no.
If you are unsure whether something applies to you, put it in the intake and let a provider decide. That is what the assessment is for.
How to tell a legitimate service from a risky one
Online prescribing has attracted operators who should not be in it. A few checks separate them quickly.
A legitimate service requires a real clinical intake before dispensing anything. If a site sells GLP-1 medication with no health questions, walk away.
It should tell you what molecule you are receiving and that the medication is compounded rather than FDA-approved. It should offer a way to reach a care team after you start, not just at the point of sale.
Certification is another signal. TelosRX is LegitScript-certified, which involves independent verification of how the service operates. For how compounding is regulated, see the FDA overview of drug compounding.
What happens after your first month
The prescription is the beginning rather than the destination. Most of the value in a structured plan comes afterwards.
Your provider adjusts dosing based on how you are tolerating treatment and how you are responding. Those adjustments are included, not billed separately, and they are subject to medical approval by a licensed provider.
Quarterly labs give the clinical picture behind the scale. Unlimited messaging means side effects, questions, and scheduling problems get answered without booking anything.
If it is not working for you, you can cancel with no fee. There is no contract holding you in place, which is how it should be.
Common reasons an application stalls
Most delays are avoidable, and nearly all of them come from incomplete information.
Missing medication lists are the most frequent. So are vague answers about medical history, and weights that do not match other information provided.
Some people leave out a condition because they worry it will disqualify them. It often does not, but a provider cannot assess what they cannot see, and finding out later is worse for everyone.
If a provider asks follow-up questions, answer them promptly. Asynchronous review is fast when information flows in both directions.
Cost and what is included
Compounded GLP-1 medication is generally not covered by insurance, which is why transparent monthly pricing exists in this category.
At TelosRX the monthly price includes provider review, the medication itself, free two-day shipping, quarterly labs, dose adjustments, and unlimited care-team messaging. There is no separate consultation fee.
Plans are FSA and HSA eligible. You pay nothing if a provider declines your intake, which removes most of the risk from simply finding out.
For general background on prescription weight-management medication, see the NIH NIDDK overview.
What to expect in the first week after approval
The package arrives and then there is a pause where most people feel slightly unsure. That is normal. Read the instructions that come with it before doing anything.
Pick a consistent day if you are on a weekly injectable, or a consistent time if you are taking a daily oral option. Consistency matters more than which day or time you choose.
Expect the early effects to be subtle. Appetite usually shifts before anything else, and digestive side effects may appear and then settle as your body adapts.
Message the care team with anything that surprises you. Questions in the first week are the most common ones they answer, and none of them are too small to ask.
Why an online route suits this kind of care
GLP-1 treatment is mostly ongoing management rather than one-off diagnosis. Dose adjustments, side-effect questions, and lab reviews are the bulk of the work, and none of them need a waiting room.
Asynchronous review removes the scheduling barrier that stops a lot of people starting at all. You answer questions when you have time, and a provider responds when they have read them properly.
It also creates a written record. Everything you reported and everything your provider advised is there to refer back to, which is harder to reconstruct after a rushed appointment.
What it does not replace is in-person care when that is what you need. If a provider thinks you should be assessed physically, they will say so, and that is the correct outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does online approval take?
Review is asynchronous and often completed within hours of your intake being submitted. Follow-up questions can extend that, which is normal rather than a problem. Approval is not guaranteed, and a provider may decline or recommend something different.
Do I need a video call with a doctor?
No. The TelosRX intake is asynchronous, so a US-licensed provider reviews your written health history without a scheduled call. If they need more information, they will message you. There is no waiting room and no appointment to book.
What do I need before starting the intake?
Your height and a recent weight, a full list of medications and supplements, any allergies, your personal and family medical history, and recent labs if you have them. Previous experience with GLP-1 medication is also useful to include.
What if I am declined?
You pay nothing. A provider may decline because of a contraindication, because criteria are not met, or because something in your history needs assessment in person first. Ask what would change the answer, since some reasons are temporary.
Can I choose which medication I get?
You can state a preference, and it is worth doing. The final decision is clinical and belongs to the provider, who weighs your history, tolerance, and goals. Every prescription is subject to medical approval by a licensed provider.
Is compounded medication the same as the branded version?
No. Compounded medication is prepared by partner compounding pharmacies and is not FDA-approved. It uses the same active molecule but is a different regulatory category. Ask your provider any questions about that before starting.
TelosRX is LegitScript-certified. Compounded medication is not FDA-approved and is prepared by partner compounding pharmacies. This article is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace guidance from your own provider. Approval is subject to evaluation by a licensed provider, and approval is not guaranteed. Individual results vary. TelosRX operates as an online-first, asynchronous telehealth service.
Questions about your plan? Message the TelosRX care team or start your evaluation at TelosRX.