36.7 percent of websites asked for patient-reported clinician values; 26.5 percent required a video visit
THURSDAY, July 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Online glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) prescription vendors frequently do not require clinician interaction, according to a research letter published online July 6 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Ashwin K. Chetty, from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues conducted a secret shopper study to characterize the prescription process and clinical engagement for obtaining GLP-1 RAs from online sellers. One researcher attempted to obtain prescriptions between August and December 2025 from previously identified websites using a simulated patient profile meeting GLP-1 RA eligibility criteria (“the patient”).
The patient solicited prescriptions from 49 websites, of which 45 and 34 (91.8 and 69.4 percent) prescribed and mailed the medication, respectively. The researchers found that two of the four nonprescribing websites required blood work, one denied a prescription based on internal data indicating an existing prescription, and one withdrew the prescription due to a mismatch between the patient”s photo and reported weight. A questionnaire was used by all websites; 79.6, 65.3, and 53.1 percent asked about weight loss goals, nonpharmacological weight loss attempts, and diet and physical activity, respectively. Overall, 98.0, 93.9, and 55.1 percent asked about medical conditions, medications and allergies, and eating disorders, respectively. Eighteen (36.7 percent) asked for patient-reported clinical values; 26.5 and 6.1 percent required a video visit and a phone call, respectively. The median time to a prescription was one day or less; 4.4 percent of compounded prescriptions were issued in five minutes or less.
“Online GLP-1 RA prescription vendors often did not require clinician interaction, relying primarily on patient-reported questionnaires that may not capture important clinical and social history,” the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry; a second author disclosed ties to the legal industry.
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