- More than 12% of Americans now take a GLP-1 medication.
- U.S. News now evaluates GLP-1 telehealth companies.
- The FDA publishes guidance for telehealth companies promoting compounded drugs.
- Google requires LegitScript certification to advertise prescription drugs or telehealth services.
- The FTC requires health claims to be truthful, non-misleading, and substantiated.
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TL;DR
With more than 12% of Americans now taking GLP-1s, you can compete with direct-to-consumer platforms by pairing digital access with the follow-up care they may skip — a 2026 secret-shopper investigation found patients could sometimes get prescriptions with minimal clinician interaction. A connected system like Tebra runs scheduling, intake, telehealth, and ePrescribing together, so added follow-up doesn’t overload your team.
As payer coverage for GLP-1 medications evolves, more patients are turning to direct-to-consumer services. U.S. News now evaluates GLP-1 telehealth companies, reflecting growing demand for online access. Although these platforms have expanded medication access, a larger question remains: What happens after the prescription? The clinical support gap in telehealth-based GLP-1 care gives independent practices a clear opportunity to stand out. By monitoring treatment response and side effects, managing comorbidities, and helping patients address lifestyle changes and barriers to adherence, practices can provide the longitudinal care that medication access alone cannot. As the hub for ongoing obesity care, independent practices can offer what transactional GLP-1 prescribing platforms may not: coordinated, personalized care over time.
Why GLP-1 prescribing platform competitors are growing so quickly
GLP-1 prescribing platforms are growing so quickly because they let consumers seek obesity treatment from home, often without establishing care with a traditional physician practice. Some platforms have made the process extremely streamlined. A 2026 secret-shopper investigation found that people could sometimes obtain GLP-1 prescriptions with minimal clinician interaction. However, this lack of interaction sometimes comes with negative consequences for patients:
- Delayed recognition of side effects. Without regular follow-up, nausea, vomiting, dehydration and other adverse effects may not be identified and managed promptly.
- Fragmented care. The patient's PCP may be managing diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular risk and other conditions without being fully integrated into the GLP-1 treatment plan.
- Missed contraindications and risk factors. A telehealth questionnaire may not capture the nuances that emerge through a clinical conversation, medication reconciliation, medical history, or examination.
- Missed nutritional and behavioral support. GLP-1 treatment isn't simply pharmacologic. Patients may need nutrition, physical activity and behavioral support, including strategies for preserving muscle and maintaining adequate nutrition.
- Poor medication management. Weight loss and GLP-1 therapy can require adjustment of other medications. It can also include GLP-1 maintenance and taper off the medication.
There are also negative consequences for practices. Without meaningful clinical interaction and longitudinal follow-up, practices may ultimately inherit patients with unmanaged side effects, medication interactions, nutritional concerns, fragmented care, or treatment that isn't producing the intended results.
Where independent practices have the competitive advantage
Independent practices have a competitive advantage in providing the longitudinal, relationship-based care that extends beyond simply prescribing a GLP-1 medication. This includes being able to monitor treatment response and side effects, manage comorbidities and other medications, and coordinate care within the context of the patient’s overall health.
Continuity of care
Continuity of care is where independent practices can differentiate themselves from transactional GLP-1 prescribing models. That’s because established clinicians can:
- Adjust the treatment plan as the patient’s needs change
- Manage side effects and comorbidities
- Track a patient’s response over time, including any GLP-1 weight regain after stopping
This ongoing relationship also gives patients a consistent point of contact for questions, concerns, and decisions throughout their weight-management journey.
Hybrid, in-person, and virtual care
Independent practices can also compete with GLP-1 prescribing platforms by offering flexible hybrid care that combines the convenience of telehealth with the clinical value of in-person visits.
| Type of care | Best suited for | Value for patients |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual care | Routine follow-ups; medication adjustments; side-effect check-ins; lifestyle and nutrition counseling; adherence discussions; answering patient questions | Reduces no-shows and provides convenient access to ongoing support without requiring a trip to the office |
| In-person care | Physical assessments; weight and vital-sign measurements; evaluation of new or concerning symptoms; lab testing or other clinical needs; addressing related health conditions | Provides hands-on evaluation when clinically appropriate and connects GLP-1 treatment with the patient's broader healthcare needs |
| Hybrid care | Using virtual care for routine needs while transitioning to in-person care when clinical circumstances warrant it | Combines the convenience patients value from online platforms with continuity, comprehensive clinical oversight, and an established care team |
Giving patients the right mix of virtual and in-person care can preserve the convenience they value from online platforms without sacrificing continuity or comprehensive clinical oversight.
Trust and long-term relationships
Trust and long-term relationships give independent practices another advantage over more transactional GLP-1 prescribing platforms. When patients already know and trust their clinician, they may be more comfortable discussing side effects, treatment challenges, weight-related concerns, and whether the medication is meeting their goals. Over time, this relationship also gives clinicians a deeper understanding of the patient’s health history, preferences, and priorities, allowing them to make GLP-1 treatment part of a broader, personalized approach to health rather than an isolated prescription.
Build a better GLP-1 provider patient experience
Practices can build a better GLP-1 provider patient experience by combining easy access and digital convenience with personalized, longitudinal care before, during, and after GLP-1 ePrescribing and pharmacy fulfillment.
Reduce friction before the first appointment
Independent practices can reduce friction before the first GLP-1 appointment by making it easy for patients to:
- Complete intake forms digitally
- Determine whether the practice offers medical weight management
- Find information about GLP-1 medications
- Schedule appointments online and in person
- Understand what to expect
Reducing friction before the first appointment is important because patients accustomed to direct-to-consumer GLP-1 prescribing platforms increasingly expect healthcare access to be simple, fast, and convenient. Complicated scheduling, paperwork, unclear costs, or uncertainty about insurance coverage can cause prospective patients to abandon the process or seek care elsewhere, while a streamlined experience helps independent practices compete on convenience without sacrificing clinical quality.
Simplify insurance verification and prior authorization
Simplifying insurance verification and prior authorization is important because coverage uncertainty and administrative delays can become major barriers between patients and GLP-1 treatment. A streamlined process helps practices provide better GLP-1 prior authorization support to patients, so patients understand coverage and out-of-pocket costs sooner. This support also reduces delays and staff burden and makes it less likely that patients will abandon treatment or seek a simpler direct-to-consumer option.
Consider these strategies:
- Identify prior authorization and step-therapy requirements
- Leverage electronic prior authorization when available
- Use standardized intake templates to capture the clinical documentation payers commonly require
- Verify pharmacy benefits and formulary coverage early
Just as important, keep patients informed about coverage status, expected costs, and next steps so they aren't left navigating the process on their own.
Support patients throughout treatment
Practices can support patients throughout the GLP-1 treatment journey by:
- Giving patients a clear way to ask questions, report concerns, and receive support between visits
- Helping patients with GLP-1 insurance navigation, including insurance coverage, affordability, and medication access challenges
- Monitoring side effects, adherence, and treatment response and adjusting medications as needed
- Offering ongoing nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle support
- Providing proactive, structured follow-up to monitor progress and keep patients engaged
Together, these strategies create a more supportive, connected GLP-1 experience that helps patients stay engaged and positions the practice as a long-term partner in their weight-management journey.
Improve your visibility where GLP-1 patients search
Practices can improve visibility by showing up where prospective GLP-1 patients search (e.g., Google, online directories, social media, and health information sites) and providing clear, accurate information about weight-management services.
Optimize for local search
To optimize the practice website for local search, practices should first optimize their Google Business profile. This means keeping the practice address, hours, phone number, website, services, photos, and appointment links accurate and complete, and clearly identify weight-management services where appropriate.
Another helpful step toward search engine optimization is to build and manage patient reviews. Consistently invite satisfied patients to leave reviews, respond professionally to feedback without disclosing PHI, and monitor what patients say about access, communication, convenience, and their overall experience.
Create locally relevant GLP-1 content
Focus on local search and answer engine optimization rather than paid ads. Also create pages that pair specific medication names (e.g., semaglutide, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and tirzepatide) with your city, so patients searching nearby find you. Also be sure to answer questions local patients commonly search about GLP-1 eligibility, costs (Note: Many patients search for the cheapest GLP-1 online), insurance, and follow-up care.
Run a compliant GLP-1 program
Practices can run a compliant GLP-1 program by making truthful, evidence-based advertising claims, protecting patient information throughout the care journey, and establishing standardized protocols for safe prescribing, monitoring, and follow-up. Here are some strategies to consider when mitigating GLP-1 compliance and prescribing risks.
Advertising requirements
Staying compliant with advertising requirements helps practices protect patients, maintain trust, and reduce regulatory and legal risk as scrutiny of GLP-1 marketing continues to increase. Consider these strategies as part of the practice’s overall marketing plan:
- Avoid suggesting that every patient will qualify or achieve a particular result when using a GLP-1 medication.
- Clearly disclose material limitations associated with GLP-1 medications.
- Make truthful, evidence-based claims about weight loss and other health outcomes when patients use GLP-1 medications.
FTC guidance actually requires health claims to be truthful, non-misleading, and adequately substantiated. In addition, there may be Google and other ad platform restrictions as well as state and federal advertising requirements to consider when practices advertise GLP-1 medications to patients.
Patient privacy
Patient privacy is especially important in a GLP-1 program because practices may collect sensitive information about patients’ weight, medications, medical history, insurance, and treatment goals through websites, intake forms, portals, and telehealth platforms. These strategies can help protect patient information:
- Carefully vet vendors that handle patient data
- Ensure information collected for care isn’t improperly disclosed or repurposed for advertising or marketing
- Limit access to patient information
- Use secure, HIPAA-compliant technologies when applicable
Protecting patient privacy throughout the GLP-1 care journey helps practices maintain patient trust, meet regulatory requirements, and reduce the risk of sensitive health information being accessed, shared, or used inappropriately.
Medication safety
Safe GLP-1 prescribing starts with knowing whose rules apply. Before you launch or grow your program, review these resources:
- LegitScript: Google requires LegitScript certification before you can advertise prescription drugs or telehealth services.
- FDA guidance: The FDA explains what telehealth providers need to know when promoting compounded drugs. Read it if your practice is weighing branded vs compounded GLP-1 options.
- Coverage resources: See navigating GLP-1 drug coverage for what to tell patients about cost and prior authorization.
Leave dosing, screening, and monitoring decisions to your providers' clinical judgment and your practice's own protocols.
Technology that makes a GLP-1 program scalable
As patient interest in GLP-1 medications continues to grow, technology can help independent practices expand their GLP-1 programs without creating an unsustainable administrative burden. An integrated practice platform can streamline repetitive tasks and keep the patient experience connected across the treatment journey.
| Type of GLP-1 platform differentiation features | Purpose in a GLP-1 program |
|---|---|
| Online scheduling | Makes it easier for patients to book initial consultations and recurring follow-ups without calling the practice. |
| Digital intake and screening | Collects medical history, medications, treatment goals, and other information before the visit to support efficient patient evaluation. |
| Eligibility and benefits verification | Identifies coverage, patient responsibility, and potential payer requirements earlier in the treatment journey. |
| Electronic prior authorization | Streamlines GLP-1 authorization requests and reduces manual administrative work and treatment delays. |
| EHR and clinical documentation tools | Standardize screening, prescribing, titration, monitoring, and follow-up workflows while keeping information in one patient record. |
| Telehealth | Enables convenient follow-ups, medication management, side-effect discussions, and lifestyle counseling without requiring every encounter to be in person. |
| Patient portal and secure messaging | Gives patients a convenient way to ask questions, report side effects, receive instructions, and stay connected between visits. |
| Automated reminders and outreach | Prompts patients about appointments, follow-ups, labs, refills, and other next steps to help prevent gaps in care. |
| Patient engagement and reputation tools | Supports ongoing communication, patient education, feedback, and reviews that can help practices attract and retain GLP-1 patients. |
| Analytics and reporting | Helps practices track patient volume, follow-up rates, outcomes, denials, revenue, and other measures to identify opportunities to improve and grow the program. |
The right technology can automate routine work behind the scenes, giving independent practices more capacity to deliver the relationship-based, longitudinal care that differentiates them from transactional GLP-1 platforms.
Why private practices win
Private practices can win in the GLP-1 market because they can offer what direct-to-consumer platforms may struggle to replicate: convenient access combined with trusted relationships, continuity, and whole-person care. By pairing digital tools and flexible virtual options with personalized clinical oversight and in-person care when needed, practices can make GLP-1 treatment part of a patient’s long-term health journey rather than simply a prescription.
Frequently asked questions
- Ad platforms (including Google): Ad platforms may impose their own restrictions on GLP-1, weight-loss, telehealth, prescription-drug, health-related, and before-and-after advertising. Google, for example, has specific certification requirements and restrictions for certain healthcare and prescription-drug advertisers.
- FTC: The FTC prohibits deceptive or misleading advertising and requires health-related claims to be appropriately substantiated.
- Other federal and state advertising requirements. Practices must also comply with federal and state laws governing healthcare marketing, consumer protection, professional conduct, patient testimonials, pricing, and privacy. State medical boards may prohibit false, misleading, or deceptive advertising and may impose additional requirements around how physicians represent their credentials, services, fees, and treatment outcomes. Practices operating or advertising across multiple states should review requirements in each state where they treat or market to patients, particularly when telehealth is involved.
Independent practices don’t have to choose between convenience and personalized care. With Tebra, practices can streamline the patient journey, strengthen engagement, and deliver the connected, relationship-based experience that sets them apart from direct-to-consumer GLP-1 platforms. See how scheduling, intake, telehealth, and ePrescribing work together for a GLP-1 program: take the self-guided tour.
The information provided in this post does not constitute medical or legal advice and is intended for informational purposes only.
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