Five former employees told STAT today that LifeMD, a telehealth company with roughly 365,000 subscribers, pushed its clinicians to review 25 patient cases per hour — about two minutes each. Clinicians worked from forms patients filled out, with little screening or follow-up. Two lawsuits from former top leaders make the same allegations. Novo Nordisk lists LifeMD as a trusted provider on both the NovoCare® and Wegovy® websites. In January 2026, the two companies expanded their deal to offer the first FDA-approved oral Wegovy® pill. A Yale secret-shopper study published in JAMA this month tested 49 telehealth sites and found that getting GLP-1 prescriptions online was "extraordinarily fast and easy" with "low clinical oversight."

1. Doctors Say Two Minutes Per Patient Isn't Safe (Marc-Andre Cornier, Arthur Caplan, Former LifeMD Workers)

Two minutes per patient left no room for a proper evaluation.

Two minutes per patient isn't enough. Marc-Andre Cornier, an endocrinologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, says that at many GLP-1 telehealth providers "there's not a proper evaluation, there's not a baseline, and there's not proper supervision." At LifeMD, former workers said clinicians were actively discouraged from asking patients medically relevant questions so they wouldn't "delay care."

Overdoses are already happening. Poison control centers reported a 1,500% increase in GLP-1 overdose calls since 2019. In one case, a patient named Karleigh McClain received a dose of 2.21mg — nearly nine times a typical first dose. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU, says "the consent is not adequate" at companies like these.

Most platforms skip diet and exercise guidance. Elizabeth Krupinski, a professor at Emory University, says some telehealth companies market GLP-1s "without emphasizing the importance of healthy eating and exercise." The FDA has logged more than 1,700 adverse events linked to compounded versions of these drugs.

2. But LifeMD Says It Followed the Standards (LifeMD, Novo Nordisk, Ro)

LifeMD denies every allegation, and Novo Nordisk hasn't withdrawn its endorsement.

Every allegation is wrong, the company says. LifeMD strenuously denies the claims. CEO Justin Schreiber has described the company's model as offering "evidence-based weight management care," "virtual visits," and "ongoing clinical oversight" across all 50 states through its affiliated medical group.

The partnership is still on. Novo Nordisk still lists LifeMD on its NovoCare® and Wegovy® websites as a trusted provider. In March 2026, the two companies launched a Wegovy subscription program offering patients up to $1,200 in annual savings.

Advocates say the criticism misses the access problem. Nicholas Samonas, a spokesperson for Ro — a competing telehealth firm — says providers counsel every patient on the potential benefits and risks. Mei Wa Kwong of the Connected Health Initiative, a telehealth policy organization, argues that consumer education rather than regulation is the right response. Millions of people can't easily reach an endocrinologist, and telehealth has stepped into that gap.

3. Still, the FDA Hasn't Written the Rules (FDA)

The agency has sent more than 110 warning letters. It hasn't told companies what safe prescribing looks like.

The FDA has been busy, but only on one issue. It sent 55+ warning letters to compounded GLP-1 sellers in September 2025, 30 more to telehealth companies in February 2026, and 25 more in June 2026, all targeting misleading marketing of compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide.

The FDA still hasn't set prescribing standards. There are no criteria from any government agency or medical society that define what appropriate GLP-1 telehealth care looks like. Jamy Ard, an obesity researcher at Wake Forest University, says telehealth companies have "flourished" in a "perfect storm" of drug shortages, high demand, and regulatory gaps.

Pharma has filed its own suits. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have both sued telehealth companies over the marketing of compounded versions of their drugs. But drugmaker lawsuits don't substitute for government prescribing standards.

Where This Lands

Patient safety physicians say two minutes per case is dangerous. Overdose call data backs them up. LifeMD and its industry peers say they're providing legitimate access to weight management care that traditional healthcare has failed to deliver, and Novo Nordisk has kept the partnership. The FDA sits in between. It has enough evidence to keep sending warning letters, but it hasn't established what good GLP-1 telehealth practice actually requires.

Sources