science
Study of 49 Telehealth Sites Finds Mixed Clinical Oversight for GLP-1 Weight-Loss Prescriptions
A Yale University researcher posing as a patient examined 49 websites prescribing GLP-1 drugs. The study, published Monday in JAMA, found many prescriptions were issued without appropriate clinical care.
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A secret-shopper study of 49 telehealth websites that prescribe GLP-1 medications for weight loss found that prescriptions are often issued without appropriate clinical oversight. The study was published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. One researcher at Yale University conducted the work by posing as a patient seeking a prescription.
GLP-1 medications referenced in the study include semaglutide and tirzepatide. Shortages of the FDA-approved versions created demand for compounded alternatives that lack agency approval. Direct-to-consumer telehealth companies expanded rapidly to meet patient requests for these drugs.
Clinicians and public health experts have expressed concerns that lax virtual prescribing practices expose patients to risk. The study documented that many GLP-1 prescriptions from the examined sites were not supported by suitable clinical evaluation.
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