“Due to increased demand, there has been a shortage of semaglutide since 2022,” explains Henry Cohen, PharmD, dean and professor at Touro College of Pharmacy in New York City. “When there are shortages of drugs, pharmacists are permitted to compound the same drug entity in bulk.” That means, since 2022, compounded semaglutide has been available, making the medication much less expensive and more accessible than it would be otherwise.

Fortunately, there are several telehealth providers who offer the name-brand versions of semaglutide: Ozempic (for type 2 diabetes management) and Wegovy (for weight loss). While these drugs will typically be more expensive than their compounded equivalents (depending on your health insurance coverage), they are much safer than ordering semaglutide from unregulated or unlicensed internet sources.

“Legitimate providers will require a prescription written by a licensed U.S. healthcare provider, conduct a medical intake, provide a virtual or in-person consultation, and dispense the medication through a licensed U.S. pharmacy,” explains Eric Smith, DO, a bariatric surgeon in Georgetown, Kentucky, and the medical director at POP Recovery Systems.

Each company we recommend below has been carefully vetted by our team to ensure that they partner with licensed healthcare professionals and accredited U.S. pharmacies. These services also stood out for their customer service and access to clinicians for follow-up care. Here are seven safe and reputable sources for Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications online.

• Noom Med
• Good Life Meds
• Sesame
• Ro
• PlushCare
• WeightWatchers Clinic
• K Health

Noom Med is part of Noom Weight, an app-based weight loss company that was founded in 2008. The original Noom program focuses heavily on behavior change to promote healthy weight loss, and Noom Med allows users to use this behavior-based Noom program in conjunction with weight loss medications, including Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro.

To get started with Noom Med, your first step is to share details about your weight and health history in a brief survey. Next, a doctor or other prescribing clinician will review your results and provide a prescription if appropriate. Noom Med also uses a partner pharmacy to fill your prescription and mail it straight to your home. While you’re a member, you have unlimited access to clinicians using the Noom app, along with access to Noom behavior-change resources and a community of other users.

Noom membership does not cover the cost of medications, the price of which will vary based on your insurance coverage. You may also join Noom Med without health insurance, but the cost of medications may be a problem for people with limited budgets.

In our research, we found that many people liked Noom Med for weight loss. However, some people found the price of medications via their mail-order pharmacy to be cost-prohibitive. We also noted that some Noom Med users said that their interactions with a doctor were minimal, usually only quick meetings of 10 minutes or less.

Good Life Meds is an online medical provider that offers solutions for weight loss (including Ozempic), hair growth, sexual health, and overall wellness. The fully online company offers transparent pricing that includes the cost of medical care and medications, and they provide free overnight shipping.

Your monthly membership fee includes the cost of your initial medical intake and doctor evaluation, plus any medication prescribed. Good Life Meds doesn’t accept insurance, so the prices are the same for everyone. If a Good Life Meds doctor is unable to prescribe weight loss medication for you because you don’t qualify, you’ll receive a full refund.

Our research found that some Good Life Meds customers have expressed concern about poor temperature control during shipping because they received shipments with room-temperature or warm medications that should have been chilled.

Still, Good Life Meds seems like a good fit for people without insurance, as well as those who may have other wellness concerns in addition to weight loss.

Sesame is a telehealth company that offers fully online medical care for a wide spectrum of needs and specialties, including urgent care, mental health, weight loss, dermatology, and more. Their comprehensive weight loss membership includes video doctor visits, access to weight loss medications such as Ozempic, unlimited chats with your doctor, and lab work as needed.

They accept insurance to help reduce the price of Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications. However, they also list their noninsurance prices for people without health insurance. Sesame also offers Rybelsus, an oral semaglutide pill for people who want to avoid injections. In addition, they have a larger selection of GLP-1 medications than many other online providers.

When you sign up for Sesame’s weight loss membership, you’ll complete a medical intake form and choose a provider to complete your initial video consultation. If needed, your physician may order labs to help assess your metabolic health, which is included in the monthly membership fee. If you’re prescribed medication, you can choose to have it mailed to you by a Sesame partner pharmacy, or you can pick up your medication at a local pharmacy.

Through our research, we found that many people are very satisfied with Sesame’s weight loss program. However, some members and former members say that they’ve had issues getting their prescription sent to a local pharmacy and that Sesame can be slow to issue refunds.

Ro is a specialty telehealth provider that offers medical advice and prescriptions for sexual health, weight loss, fertility, hair loss, skin care, and overall wellness. Their Ro Body membership is a fully online GLP-1 weight loss program. With Ro Body, a physician will prescribe Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, or Saxenda, if they determine you qualify after reviewing your initial medical intake form and performing a medical consultation. They may also order labs to assess your metabolic health, if needed.

Then, if you have health insurance, you will be able to pick up your prescription from a local pharmacy, where they will apply your insurance to your prescription cost. However, if you don’t have insurance and choose to pay out of pocket, Ro can mail the prescriptions directly to your home. Prescription costs aren’t included in the monthly fee and will vary depending on your insurance. Ro also offers unlimited provider messaging and medication adjustments as needed with your membership.

Our research showed that users find Ro easy to use. Customers also noted that, for the most part, providers are very responsive. However, they say that the app can be glitchy and difficult to use. Additionally, Ro’s monthly membership fee is significantly more expensive than similar services that provide medical weight loss management.

PlushCare describes itself as a virtual primary care provider. The company offers a number of services in addition to weight loss, including online urgent care and mental health treatment. PlushCare is unique because it offers online type 2 diabetes management in addition to weight loss treatment.

To start using PlushCare’s weight loss program, you need to do a video consultation with a PlushCare physician. The physician will review your medical history and weight goals to determine if you qualify for a GLP-1 prescription. If you do, they will issue the prescription and help with prior authorizations as needed. PlushCare doesn’t fill GLP-1 prescriptions, however, so you’ll need to pick up your prescription at your preferred local pharmacy.

PlushCare prices vary depending on your insurance status. The monthly membership fee doesn’t include the cost of medications.

PlushCare is one of the most well-liked online GLP-1 weight loss companies, based on our research. Current and former users say that they appreciate how responsive and friendly the doctors are. However, some users say that PlushCare can be slow to send prescriptions and complete prior authorizations. Overall, PlushCare seems to provide a more personable experience than many similar companies.

WeightWatchers is a wildly successful weight loss program that has been around since the 1960s. In 2023, the company launched WeightWatchers Clinic, which combines the WeightWatchers approach with GLP-1 weight loss medications, including Ozempic, if you qualify.

To get started with WeightWatchers Clinic, you’ll need to complete a brief quiz to see if you qualify for GLP-1 therapy, and then meet with a healthcare provider through WeightWatchers for your initial consultation. The provider will give you a treatment plan and prescribe the right medication for you. You’ll also have access to regular provider follow-ups and medication adjustments, as well as the WeightWatchers Points program, which assigns simple point values to foods and physical activities to make it easier to stick to a calorie deficit for weight loss.

A 12-month prepaid plan will give you the best deal on the WeightWatchers Clinic membership, but you’ll still have to cover the cost of medications. Short-term options are more expensive, which may be a problem for people who can’t afford the long-term commitment. The cost of medication will vary based on your insurance. Based on our research, WeightWatchers Clinic users are highly satisfied with the program and get great results from using GLP-1 medication in conjunction with WeightWatchers Points to track their food intake. However, many people say it’s less expensive to pay for the classic WeightWatchers program and get a GLP-1 prescription through your regular doctor.

K Health is an AI-powered telehealth company that provides fully online primary care, urgent care, mental health treatment, and prescription weight loss management. Their GLP-1 options include Ozempic, Saxenda, and Wegovy. The K Health Medical Weight Management Program is a membership that offers unlimited texting with medical providers, along with access to urgent care and other doctor visits. K Health physicians can also manage other medical conditions in addition to obesity, so you could, for example, use your K Health membership for both weight loss and mental health care.

You’ll save money when you sign up for K Health for a year. However, this doesn’t include the cost of medications or labs, which will vary based on your insurance. A year-long commitment may also be too expensive for some. We found that K Health seemed very streamlined and easy to use for most people using the Medical Weight Management Program. However, some K Health users say that it can be difficult to get consistent follow-up care. Also, users say the app can be glitchy sometimes, which can cause you to miss appointments or cause providers to miss your messages.

To find the most reputable places to buy Ozempic online, we asked a registered dietitian, a bariatric surgeon, and a pharmacist — all well-versed in GLP-1 medications like Ozempic — how Ozempic works and what to look for. The experts we interviewed were:

• Ana Reisdorf, RD, lead registered dietitian and founder at GLP-1 Hub
• Henry Cohen, PharmD, dean and professor at Touro College of Pharmacy
• Eric Smith, DO, bariatric surgeon and medical director at POP Recovery Systems

Based on the information they shared, we only chose companies that work with licensed physicians who provide valid prescriptions for Ozempic or other GLP-1 medications to those who qualify.

We also prioritized companies that accept insurance, as well as those that will ship your prescribed medications directly to your home or provide a prescription that you can fill at your preferred pharmacy. Some require a multiple-month commitment, while some are available on a month-to-month basis.

If you’re interested in finding Ozempic online, it’s crucial that you choose a company that’s reputable, honest, and operating legally. Unfortunately, there are many websites where you can order GLP-1 medications without a prescription. These websites may be outright scams that will simply steal your credit card information, or they may send contaminated, inaccurately dosed, or fake medications that are unsafe to take.

According to input from Cohen and Dr. Smith, and based our research, these are the most important things to look for in a company that offers Ozempic prescriptions online:

• Provider consults: It’s extremely important that you choose a company that includes initial and follow-up consultations with a doctor. “You want to seek out programs that offer direct contact with a medical provider for guidance, adjustments, and follow-up,” explains Smith. “If there’s no opportunity to speak with or message a real clinician, that’s a major red flag. When medical decisions are made without clear provider communication, it’s ‘buyer beware.’”
• Valid prescription: The healthcare provider you consult with should issue a valid prescription for Ozempic or another GLP-1, if you are deemed qualified. If they are willing to write a prescription for you even though you don’t meet the criteria to use a GLP-1 — for instance, you have a normal body mass index (BMI) and don’t have type 2 diabetes — it’s a sign that the company may not be entirely legitimate.
• Licensed pharmacy: “Medications purchased from suspicious websites or sources are not tested for safety, efficacy, or purity," says Cohen. “To ensure your safety, always obtain a prescription from your doctor and purchase all medications from a licensed pharmacy.” You can use the FDA’s Locate a State-Licensed Online Pharmacy tool to verify that the pharmacy is licensed to operate in the United States.
• Ongoing support: Ozempic and other GLP-1s are dosed progressively, and you may need to take these medications for at least 6 to 12 months to see significant benefits. For this reason, you should look for a company that includes periodic follow-up meetings with a doctor.
• Flexible refund policy: The best companies for weight loss medication and medical management also provide full refunds for those who are deemed ineligible for an Ozempic prescription after their initial consultation. In addition, they allow you to quickly and easily cancel the service online.
• Positive reviews: With the exception of Noom and WeightWatchers, which expanded into offering weight loss medications alongside their established programs, most companies that provide Ozempic online were founded fairly recently. For this reason, it’s a good idea to research each company and read reviews from past or current users on websites like Trustpilot, Google Reviews, and Reddit.

Ozempic is approved by the FDA for people with type 2 diabetes. However, it can also be prescribed off-label — or for a non-FDA approved reason — for weight loss. Alternatively, says Smith, “Wegovy is approved for weight management.”

However, Smith cautions, “They’re not meant for cosmetic or short-term use. Ideal candidates are committed to long-term lifestyle changes alongside the medication.”

He adds that GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1s, aren’t suitable for people who have a history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, or pancreatitis.

“GLP-1 helps regulate blood sugar by increasing the release of insulin, lowering the release of another hormone called glucagon, and slowing how quickly food moves through your stomach,” explains Dr. Reisdorf. “This helps improve blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, but it also reduces appetite, leading to weight loss.”