A secret shopper study by a Yale University researcher, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigated 49 telehealth sites prescribing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. The study confirmed experts' concerns about lax clinical oversight, finding it is "extraordinarily fast and easy" to get a prescription online amid high patient demand and drug shortages that have fueled a market for unapproved compounded versions.
Secret shopper study methodology
- ▪The secret shopper study investigated the practices of 49 telehealth websites that prescribe GLP-1 medications
- ▪A researcher at Yale University posed as a patient for a study on online GLP-1 prescriptions
- ▪The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on July 6, 2026
Online GLP-1 prescription practices
- ▪The telehealth sites under investigation prescribe popular GLP-1 medications for weight loss
- ▪The study's results show it is "extraordinarily fast and easy" to obtain a GLP-1 prescription online
Telehealth industry growth
- ▪Shortages of GLP-1s like semaglutide and tirzepatide created a market for compounded versions not approved by the FDA
- ▪Direct-to-consumer telehealth companies have grown rapidly in response to high patient demand for GLP-1s
Clinical oversight concerns
- ▪Clinicians and public health experts have raised concerns that lax virtual care practices from online prescribers could put patients at risk
- ▪The secret shopper study confirmed the concerns of public health experts regarding online prescription practices
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