What happens between a search and a care plan?

Before the visit: check who can assess you

As of September 2026, the patient’s location determines which state’s permission a remote doctor needs.

Get the person’s full name, plus their licence type, before checking their credentials. Check the state board record. If the name is not available yet, ask when it will be.

Also ask how the visit works. Will there be a live conversation? Can you send questions after completing the intake form?

You can also seek an assessment at a clinic you attend in person. Ask how the online clinician would arrange an in-person visit if it is needed.

During the visit: make a care decision

Medical board guidance sets one standard of care for both remote appointments and visits in person.

As of September 2026, there was no general federal in-person visit requirement for prescribing semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide remotely.

The doctor must still follow your state’s rules about prescribing online. A screen visit is enough only if the doctor can gather what is needed to assess your health properly.

A needed exam or test cannot be left out: medical board guidance calls on the clinician to arrange it, including a referral when another provider must do it.

Talk through the reason for treatment, the exact product, the costs and the follow-up plan. Leave time for your own questions.

After the decision: check the handoff

A prescription is the clinician’s order for medicine. Dispensing a prescription drug requires an order written by a licensed prescriber under the U.S. law in effect as of September 2026.

Ask which pharmacy will fill it. Then ask who can answer questions once it arrives.

Write down the next check-in, how to reach the clinician and what to do if the plan changes. Keep these details with the medicine information.