Virtual GLP-1 doctors: the care checklist.

U.S. guidance as of September 26, 2026 says the doctor needs a licence or other legal permission for whichever state you are in at visit time.

State rules set the details, and narrow exceptions exist.

Get the doctor's licence details and full name. Then look up the public record with your state's medical board.

The board gives doctors permission to practise. Its record shows that permission and public action over misconduct; a clear record is not a rating of care.

Medical-board advice checked September 26, 2026 says a set list of tick-box questions alone is not enough to decide on treatment. The person treating you must gather the health details needed and be able to ask you more questions.

This is advice for states, not a law that applies everywhere. Your location during the visit determines which state's rules govern what is allowed. Find out how to send your own questions to whichever doctor or other health professional checks your health. Ask how the person checking your health will be able to ask you more questions.

Licensed online care and an in-person clinic are settings to compare. Ask which setting can handle the care you need.

The ingredient is the part that makes the medicine work. The product name matters too.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is an agency that reviews medicines; FDA is its short name.

As of September 26, 2026, FDA approval for adult weight care covers semaglutide (Wegovy), tirzepatide (Zepbound) and liraglutide (Saxenda).

As of September 26, 2026, these medicines are approved for adult weight care for people with obesity. Adults who are overweight must also have a health problem linked to weight. High blood pressure is one example of a weight-related health problem.

Obesity means carrying enough extra body fat to affect health. Ask the person treating you which health problem makes the exact medicine an option for you.

Semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) have approvals for type 2 diabetes, a blood sugar condition, rather than weight loss, as of September 26, 2026.

Compounding supplies a medicine prepared to order in place of the finished product from a drug company.

Compounded medicines are not FDA-approved on September 26, 2026; when they go on sale, the FDA has not first checked their safety, quality or benefit.

The national shortages of semaglutide and tirzepatide injections had ended as of September 26, 2026.

Regular pharmacy copying of an available drug is restricted as of September 26, 2026.

An exception to those copying limits may apply for a particular patient. Whoever writes your prescription must judge that the change in the made-to-order medicine makes an important difference to your care. Paying less is not enough on its own to qualify for that exception.

Ask what need a made-to-order version would meet for you.

As of September 26, 2026, FDA-approved liraglutide generics exist; a generic is an approved copy, unlike a compounded medicine.

On September 26, 2026, neither semaglutide nor tirzepatide can be sold in the United States as an FDA-approved generic.

The FDA warns, as of September 26, 2026, against products labelled for research or not for human use.

An advertised price may cover only one part of care. Ask for the first bill and the ongoing bill in writing.

Published online care plans can charge membership plus a separate medicine bill, as of September 26, 2026.

A product's strength tells you how much medicine it contains. Different strengths can have different prices.

On September 26, 2026, the maker's cash price for semaglutide (Wegovy) injection pens was $349 per month after the introductory offer. That price applied to strengths from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg.

These numbers identify the price group. Ask whether the exact product and strength offered to you are in that group.

That medicine-only price covers a box of four pens; it is not a quote for visits or tests.

The September 26, 2026 price check found that Wegovy's introductory offer runs through December 31, 2026. Its later cash-price terms say prices will be updated after that date. Savings-card terms for tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro) also end December 31, 2026. An end date by itself does not show how much you will pay in January.

Ask for medicine, care fees, tests and delivery to be listed separately. Ask about renewal charges and cancellation too.

As of September 26, 2026, Medicare payment can depend on the reason for treatment and the plan's own rules; FDA approval does not guarantee coverage.

Ask your insurer to check the exact medicine and its intended use. Ask whether it needs to agree before it pays, often called prior authorization.

Put the answers beside each other on the question sheet, then compare the same items.

Before agreeing to a plan, ask who answers messages, how to reach them, and what follow-up will involve.

Medical-board advice checked September 17, 2026 says the person treating you must arrange tests or in-person care if these are needed to check your health.

Medicine information sheets checked September 26, 2026 list nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, diarrhea (loose stools) and constipation (hard-to-pass stools) with these weight medicines.

Have the person treating you explain which problems are common and which symptoms need urgent help.

Bring your medicine list and health history to that conversation.

Discuss pregnancy plans, birth control and planned surgery with the person treating you. The medicine information sheets checked September 26, 2026 flag these topics for discussion.