How does American Telehealth Review score telehealth providers?

Every provider is scored on a uniform v3.0 six-pillar rubric: Clinical Quality (25 points), Pricing & Value (20 points), Patient Experience (15 points), Safety & Compliance (15 points), Transparency (15 points), and Continuity of Care (10 points). Total possible score is 100 points.

How often are scores updated?

Every provider is fully re-scored every 90 days. Material events such as pricing changes or FDA actions trigger an off-cycle re-scoring within 14 days.

Can providers pay to improve their score?

No. The v3.0 rubric is applied uniformly across all providers. Pillar weights cannot be modified, and Editor's Pick selection is based exclusively on score plus qualitative review.

Journal · How it works

The Difference Between a Telehealth Platform, Medical Group, and Pharmacy

Telehealth platform vs medical group vs pharmacy: who does what in an online GLP-1 program, and why the distinction matters for oversight and accountability.

Published by Ranika Editorial Group LLCUpdated June 1, 2026

Direct Answer

What is the difference between a telehealth platform, a medical group, and a pharmacy?

In a typical online GLP-1 program, three roles are involved: the telehealth platform provides the technology and patient experience; the medical group (or affiliated clinicians) provides licensed medical oversight and prescribing; and the pharmacy compounds and dispenses the medication. Understanding which entity does what helps you verify licensure, oversight, and accountability.

Disclaimer: American Telehealth Review is an editorial resource and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved finished drug products and should only be prescribed when clinically appropriate by a licensed healthcare provider. Brand-name medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are FDA-approved under their own applications. Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are not FDA-approved finished drug products.

The three roles

Platform — software, scheduling, and patient experience
Medical group / clinicians — licensed evaluation and prescribing
Pharmacy — compounding and dispensing (503A or 503B)

Why the distinction matters

Accountability lives with the licensed clinicians and the pharmacy, not the brand on the website. A transparent provider names its medical group and pharmacy. See 503A vs 503B and pharmacy transparency.

Frequently asked questions

Who actually prescribes my medication?

A clinician licensed in your state, affiliated with the program's medical group — not the platform brand itself.

Why should I care which pharmacy is used?

The pharmacy determines compounding oversight and quality standards; it should be named and verifiable.

Sources

FDA — 503A pharmacies and 503B outsourcing facilities.
Federation of State Medical Boards — Telemedicine policy resources (fsmb.org).
U.S. FDA — Compounding and the FDA (fda.gov).