Methodology

For the list, U.S. News evaluated 20 telehealth platforms that offered FDA-approved, brand-name GLP-1s using 14,161 data points and feedback from over 1,200 active GLP-1 users.

The platforms were scored on a five-point scale across six pillars:

• Clinical support (25%)
• Screening rigor (20%)
• Transparency (17%)
•  Insurance assistance (15%)
• Supplemental care (13%)
• Overall customer satisfaction (10%)

Companies only offering compounded GLP-1s were not included in the analysis, though some of the rated platforms offer both branded and compounded GLP-1s. In these cases, U.S. News only evaluated the aspects of the platform related to FDA-approved, brand-name GLP-1 medications.

The best telehealth platforms for GLP-1s

Of the 20 platforms that U.S. News evaluated, 11 achieved top ratings based on the publication's five-point scale:

• Amazon One Medical (4.8)
• Found (4.6)
• Mochi Health (4.4)
• Ro (4.4)
• Noom (4.3)
• PlushCare (4.1)
• Fridays (4.0)
• Ivim Health (4.0)
• LifeMD (4.0)
• Remedy Meds (3.9)
• WeightWatchers (3.9)

How to choose a telehealth company for GLP-1 access

Fatima Syed, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University and a medical weight management specialist at Duke Health, recommends people who want to access GLP-1s through telehealth choose a company where they can easily reach a medical professional.

"If you have a question, who do you ask? Who's on call for you?" Syed said, adding that patients should find the answer before signing up for a company. "And that there's clarity of communication, and really that you're not alone at all in the journey."

In addition, Schueller noted that patients should get a real-time interaction with a clinician, such as a video consult, and not just an asynchronous chat.

Clinical oversight is also key, Schueller said, so patients should get a thorough medical history checkup and blood work before being prescribed a GLP-1. Patients should also keep their primary care doctors up to date on their treatment.

"You want to make sure the treatment is appropriate for your body by testing kidney and liver function," Schueller said. "After all, these are prescription medications. They have side effects. For some people, they carry real risks if you have certain medical conditions or a certain health history."

In a joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society, the authors said patients who are prescribed GLP-1s — whether in-person or via telehealth — should receive "a thoughtful plan of care" that helps them manage any challenging side effects and includes nutritional and lifestyle counseling before, during, and after weight loss.