How We Decide Which Programs Earn Your Trust
Every rating on this site comes from the same five-part rubric, applied the same way to everyone. No program can buy a better score — we promise. Here's exactly how the numbers come together, so you can judge our judgment for yourself.
Our independence promise
Scores are decided by our editorial team and no one else. Affiliate links, advertising, and sponsorships never nudge a rating or a ranking — not even a little. The rubric below is applied identically to every program we cover, whether or not we happen to earn a commission from it. If that ever weren't true, this whole site would be pointless, and we know it.
The scoring weights
Five things we measure, adding up to 100
Safety carries the most weight because the biggest risk in this market — by far — is ending up with an unsafe or illegitimate program.
Safety
This is the part we lose the most sleep over, so it carries the most weight. We look at whether the medication is FDA-approved or compounded, how the pharmacy is licensed (503A or 503B), how thorough the medical oversight is, whether you're screened for conditions that don't mix with GLP-1s, how adverse events are reported, and how openly the program tells you where its medication actually comes from.
Transparency
Can you see the real price before you sign up? Is it clear whether you're getting brand-name or compounded medication? Are the prescriber's credentials verifiable, and is the refund policy written in plain English instead of buried? We also check that the marketing is honest and that any affiliate relationships are disclosed. The less you have to guess, the better the score.
Cost value
We care about what you'll truly pay each month — not just the eye-catching headline price. That means folding in consult fees, lab charges, whether insurance is accepted, how steady the price stays as your dose climbs, HSA/FSA eligibility, and how fair the refund terms are. Good value isn't always the cheapest option; it's the one that gives you the most for your money.
Support
Starting a GLP-1 can bring questions at odd hours, so we look at how easy a program is to reach, how quickly it responds when you need a dose adjusted, and how helpful its side-effect guidance is. We also weigh appointment availability and any coaching or community resources that help you stick with it.
Access speed
Once you've decided, waiting weeks is no fun. We measure the time from consultation to a package on your doorstep, how smoothly prescriptions get approved, how reliable shipping is, where the program is available, and — crucially — whether the medication is actually in stock.
How we evaluate
The five steps behind every review
A score is only as good as the work behind it. Here's the path each program travels before it gets a number next to its name.
- 1
We start at the source
Before anything else, we read the primary material — FDA filings, clinical-trial data, and the program's own published details — rather than relying on what others have said about it.
- 2
We go through it ourselves
Whenever we can, we walk the intake flow as if we were a real customer, so we see the true price and experience instead of the marketing version.
- 3
We listen to readers
We gather and weigh reader-submitted experiences — the shipping delays, the billing surprises, the support that went quiet — because your stories catch things a checklist never will.
- 4
We check the paperwork
We verify licensing, look up credentials in the NPI registry, and review any FDA warning letters or enforcement actions tied to a program or its pharmacy.
- 5
We score it consistently
Every program is graded on all five categories with the same rubric, then weighted into a single rating out of 10 — so the number means the same thing wherever you see it.
Keeping things current
When we go back and re-score a program
A rating isn't carved in stone. We revisit a score whenever something real changes — not on a fixed calendar, but whenever it actually matters for you.
- An FDA warning or enforcement action touches a program or its pharmacy
- Pricing, medication sourcing, or the clinical team changes in a meaningful way
- We confirm serious adverse events or come across credible reports of fraud
- A program launches, pauses enrollment, or shuts down
When a rating changes in a meaningful way, we log it in a changelog on that program's review page so you can see what shifted and why. Our corrections policy explains how we handle mistakes. Seed data — please verify the figures before relying on them.
Not sure which program is the right fit?
Answer six quick questions and we'll point you to the programs that suit your budget, your insurance, and how you want to be cared for.