The bad actors are out in force.
With GLP-1s being the hottest drugs on the planet, hundreds of telehealth companies have popped up overnight to meet demand. Some are legitimate healthcare businesses with proper licensing and oversight. Others are fly-by-night operations more interested in your credit card than your health.
How do you tell the difference? Here are 17 red flags that should make you think twice before giving a provider your money—or your medical information.
Pricing Red Flags
🚩 #1: Price Too Good to Be True
Brand GLP-1s don't go below ~$149/month (Wegovy pill starter). Compounded products rarely go below $149-166/month for legitimate sources.
Warning sign: Prices under $100/month, especially for "brand-name" products, suggest counterfeits or scams.
🚩 #2: Hidden Fees Everywhere
Low advertised price that balloons with mandatory "membership fees," "consultation fees," "supply fees," and "shipping fees." Legitimate providers are transparent about total costs upfront.
🚩 #3: Cash/Crypto Only
Insisting on Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Legitimate pharmacies accept credit cards. If they won't take payment methods with fraud protection, that's a problem.
Medical Oversight Red Flags
🚩 #4: No Prescription Required
GLP-1s are prescription medications. Period. Any provider selling them without a prescription (or with a fake "online questionnaire" that approves everyone) is operating illegally.
🚩 #5: No Medical Consultation
A legitimate provider will have you complete a medical history and consult with a licensed prescriber—either synchronously (video/phone) or asynchronously (provider reviews your records). If there's no medical evaluation, walk away.
🚩 #6: Everyone Gets Approved
Not everyone qualifies for GLP-1s. If a provider approves 100% of applicants regardless of BMI, contraindications, or medical history, they're not practicing medicine—they're selling pills.
🚩 #7: No Follow-Up Care
GLP-1s require monitoring and dose adjustments. Providers that ship medication and disappear—no check-ins, no support, no ongoing care—are not practicing responsible medicine.
Licensing Red Flags
🚩 #8: No Verifiable Pharmacy License
Ask for the pharmacy's license number and state. Then verify it on the state board of pharmacy website. If they can't or won't provide this, or it doesn't check out—major red flag.
🚩 #9: No Named Pharmacy
Legitimate telehealth companies tell you which pharmacy will fill your prescription. If they're vague about where medications come from ("our partner pharmacies"), be suspicious.
🚩 #10: Overseas Operations
Company based outside the US with no US pharmacy license. Products shipped from overseas. Website domain registered in another country. These are signs of unregulated operations.
Marketing Red Flags
🚩 #11: "Guaranteed Results"
No medication guarantees specific weight loss results. Claims like "Lose 30 pounds guaranteed!" or "Works for everyone!" violate FDA advertising rules and indicate an untrustworthy provider.
🚩 #12: "Same as Ozempic"
Compounded semaglutide is NOT FDA-approved and cannot claim to be equivalent to Ozempic or Wegovy. Providers making these claims received FDA warning letters in September 2025. This language is a compliance failure.
🚩 #13: Fake Testimonials
Stock photos with made-up quotes. Before/after photos that look AI-generated or stolen from other sites. Review sections with no verified purchase indicators. Be skeptical of testimonial-heavy marketing.
🚩 #14: Social Media Sales
Found them through Instagram DMs, TikTok, or Telegram groups? Legitimate pharmacies don't sell prescription drugs through social media. This is a major counterfeit and scam vector.
Product Red Flags
🚩 #15: No Cold Chain Shipping
Injectable GLP-1s require refrigeration. If your medication arrives without cold packs or temperature indicators, it may have been compromised. Oral formulations don't require refrigeration.
🚩 #16: No Certificates of Analysis
For compounded products, legitimate pharmacies can provide COAs showing purity testing, sterility testing, and potency verification. If they can't or won't provide this documentation, question the product quality.
🚩 #17: Suspicious Packaging
Misspellings, poor print quality, missing lot numbers, no expiration dates, or packaging that doesn't match manufacturer standards. These indicate counterfeit products.
Green Flags: What Good Providers Look Like
Now that you know what to avoid, here's what legitimate providers typically offer:
✅ Signs of a Trustworthy Provider
- ✓ Transparent, all-inclusive pricing upfront
- ✓ Named pharmacy with verifiable state license
- ✓ Required medical consultation with licensed prescriber
- ✓ Legitimate medical criteria (some applicants denied)
- ✓ Clear contraindication screening
- ✓ Ongoing support and follow-up care
- ✓ Cold chain shipping for injectables
- ✓ Certificates of Analysis available on request
- ✓ Accepts credit cards with fraud protection
- ✓ Responsive customer service
- ✓ No "guaranteed results" claims
- ✓ Compliant marketing (no "same as Ozempic")
Verification Resources
Use these tools to verify providers:
- NABP (nabp.pharmacy): Verify pharmacy licenses and check for warnings
- State Board of Pharmacy: Confirm pharmacy is licensed in your state
- FDA.gov: Check for warning letters or enforcement actions
- BBB (bbb.org): Check business ratings and complaints
- Trustpilot/Google Reviews: Look for patterns in patient experiences
The Bottom Line
The GLP-1 market's explosive growth has attracted both legitimate businesses and bad actors. Taking 10 minutes to verify a provider could save you from wasted money at best—or dangerous products at worst.
When in doubt: Choose established providers with verifiable credentials, transparent pricing, and proper medical oversight. The cheapest option isn't always the safest, and your health isn't worth gambling on a sketchy deal.
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