Secret shopper study raises questions about online GLP-1 prescriptions

A researcher posing as a patient seeking treatment for obesity was able to obtain GLP-1 medications with little oversight via telehealth services. In a secret shopper study, 45 of 49 telehealth websites issued a GLP-1 prescription, while 32 actually shipped medication. Two-thirds required no direction interaction with a clinician before prescribing. Most prescriptions were for compounded GLP-1 medications and were often combined with ingredients such as vitamin B12 or NAD+. Compounded GLP-1 prescriptions are legal in some circumstances but aren’t approved by the FDA. Only six prescriptions were FDA-approved branded medications. The study, published in the Journal of American Medicine, examined only prescribing practices and didn’t assess safety, quality or medical outcomes.