Medically reviewed by Dr. Anjmun Sharma, MD | Updated 2026-07-164 min read

Telehealth weight loss safety checklist

Use this checklist before sharing health data or paying. A careful program can explain each role, show verifiable licenses, and separate the evaluation from medication.

Quick checklistLook for seven elements: licensed professional, real health history, individual prescription, verifiable pharmacy, follow-up, clear pricing, and explained privacy.

1. License for your location

Confirm who reviews and prescribes, and where that professional can treat. Availability should be checked before any decision.

2. Real medical history

The evaluation should review diagnoses, medications, allergies, contraindications, symptoms, and goals. A form can help but does not replace clinical judgment.

Hold us to this standard

Every check on this page is one you can run on New Hope

Care starts with a $119 review of your history and contraindications by Dr. Anjmun Sharma, MD. If a prescription is appropriate, we name the dispensing pharmacy so you can verify its license before fulfillment, and we say plainly that compounded semaglutide is not FDA-approved, not brand-identical, and that results vary.

See if you are a candidate, free 2-minute quiz

3. Individual prescription when appropriate

A prescription should not be guaranteed before review. A 503A preparation, if appropriate, is tied to an identified patient and dispensed by the pharmacy.

4. Verifiable pharmacy

Ask for the legal name and check the license and public discipline. The clinic does not manufacture or dispense the preparation.

5. Accessible follow-up

Know who answers questions, how to report side effects, when the plan is reviewed, and which symptoms require urgent care.

6. Separate pricing

Get the evaluation, medication, follow-up, renewals, and cancellation in writing. If care is available, the published medical evaluation is $119 and medication is separate.

7. Privacy and responsible claims

Review how health data is protected. Pause at guaranteed outcomes, brand-equivalence claims, or access to medication without a valid evaluation and prescription.

Expanded decision guide

1. Verify the licensed clinician

Know who is responsible for the decision and confirm that professional's license for your location in an official record. A real review should occur before a prescription is promised, even when forms and messaging make intake more convenient.

2. Expect a meaningful intake

The intake should cover history, medicines, allergies, contraindications, symptoms, prior response, goals, and alternatives. Testing, vital signs, or records should be requested when the clinician determines they are relevant. Do not assume that every patient needs the same tests or schedule.

3. Verify pharmacy and product roles

Ask which legal pharmacy would dispense and verify its license and public discipline. Confirm whether the prescription is for an FDA-approved product or a compounded preparation. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved, are not brand-identical, results vary, and the clinic does not prepare or dispense them.

4. Confirm reachable follow-up

Know how routine questions, side effects, urgent symptoms, refills, health changes, and records are handled. There should be a clear route to clinical support, not only billing or shipping support. Emergency symptoms require appropriate urgent or emergency care.

5. Review pricing, disclosure, and privacy

6. Pause at red flags

Pause at anonymous prescribing, a research-use-only product offered for self-treatment, an unnamed pharmacy, claims that a preparation is identical to an approved product, instructions that remain unclear after questions, no clinical follow-up, or hidden cancellation terms.

Primary and official source trail

Read each source for the exact product, population, date, method, and limitation. A source supports only the claim it actually studied or the policy it actually states.

Apply this checklist to New Hope

Every standard on this page is one we hold ourselves to: a $119 physician review with Dr. Anjmun Sharma, MD before any prescription decision, a named dispensing pharmacy you can verify for your location, transparent pricing with medication billed separately (compounded semaglutide from $166/month, tirzepatide from $233/month), and plain disclosure that compounded medications are not FDA-approved, not brand-identical, and that results vary. Telehealth care is available for eligible California patients.

See if you qualify, free 2-min quiz Check availability for your location

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important checklist item?

A professional licensed for your location must review the case and be responsible for the clinical decision. A purely automated approval does not replace that review.

How do I verify a program's pharmacy?

Ask for the legal name, confirm the state license, and review public discipline. Ask what documentation accompanies the exact prescription because practices vary.

Are compounded weight-loss drugs FDA-approved?

No. They are not FDA-approved, not brand-identical, and results vary by individual.

Which costs should I see before paying?

The evaluation, medication, follow-up, renewal, and cancellation should be explained separately. Availability depends on location and pharmacy coverage.

Why does follow-up matter?

It allows review of side effects, response, health changes, and goals. There should be a clear path for questions and urgent symptoms.

This article is educational and does not replace an individual medical evaluation. Do not start, stop, or change a medication without speaking with your health care professional.

Wegovy and Ozempic are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Mounjaro and Zepbound are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. New Hope Weight Loss is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved, not brand-identical, and results vary by individual.

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