How to compare online weight-loss providers on more than price

The consultation

A good online consultation is more than a form. Prescription weight-management treatment should only be supplied after a prescriber has reviewed your health information and decided it is appropriate for you, and that review should involve a genuine back-and-forth.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulates pharmacies in Great Britain, published guidance in 2025 for pharmacies providing services at a distance. Two points in it are worth knowing as a customer: prescribing decisions should not be based on a questionnaire alone, and for weight-management medicines the prescriber should independently verify your weight, height or body mass index (BMI), using a different route from the figures you type in, such as a video consultation or your clinical records.

So when you compare providers, look at how each one describes its consultation:

• Does a named type of professional (a prescriber) review your answers?
• Can they contact you and ask follow-up questions?
• How do they verify your weight or BMI, rather than relying on numbers you type in?
• Is photo ID used to confirm who you are, and is that kept separate from the clinical decision?

An "instant approval" message straight after a form is a reason to look elsewhere.

What happens if you're not approved

Not everyone who applies will be prescribed treatment, and that is how it should work. What differs between providers is what happens next.

Check two things. First, whether you are charged if a prescriber decides treatment isn't suitable, and if so, how quickly it's refunded: some services take payment upfront and refund it, others take nothing until treatment is approved. Second, whether the service explains its decision where it can and points you to your GP for further advice. A careful "no" is a sign of a careful service.

What the price includes

Headline prices are rarely like for like. Before you compare figures, check what each one covers:

• The consultation and ongoing clinical reviews: are they included, or charged separately?
• Delivery: is tracked delivery included, or added at checkout? How quickly is an order sent out once the prescription is issued?
• Introductory prices: is the figure you see the first-month price or the ongoing one? Compare what you would pay over several months, not just the first.

A slightly higher monthly price that includes delivery and regular clinical check-ins can work out better value than a lower one that doesn't.

Support once you've started

This is the part of the service you will use most, and the part price tables can't show.

Look for regular clinical check-ins built into the treatment plan, where a prescriber reviews how you're getting on, asks about side effects and decides whether your dose should stay the same or change. Find out how you contact the clinical team between check-ins, and who replies. A general customer-service inbox is useful for delivery questions, but a side-effect question should reach someone clinical.

It is also worth asking whether the provider keeps your GP informed. Your GP may hold information that matters for prescribing, and they should know what you are taking. Be cautious of any service that encourages you to keep treatment from your GP.

Reorders and stopping

A reorder should be a clinical decision, not an automatic monthly charge. Check whether a prescriber reviews each reorder before a new prescription is issued, and whether you need to complete a check-in first.

You should also be able to stop at any time. A good service will suggest you talk it through with a prescriber first, so they can advise on stopping safely, and will make it clear how to stop future orders.

Who is accountable

Finally, check who stands behind the service. You should be able to find:

• The pharmacy's GPhC registration number, which you can look up yourself on the GPhC register
• Who provides the prescribing service, and how they are regulated
• A named superintendent pharmacist
• A UK address, a privacy policy and Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) registration
• A complaints process, with timescales

If you can't find who answers for the service, that matters if something goes wrong.

An example: how Bolt Pharmacy works

Bolt Pharmacy publishes answers to most of these questions in its FAQs, so it is a useful example of the information to look for.

• Consultation: customers complete an online health assessment and provide photo ID, which is used for identity only. A prescriber at AIOS Technology Ltd, which is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), reviews the information. For weight management the process is not questionnaire-only: the prescriber independently assesses BMI and may ask follow-up questions.
• If you're not approved: you are notified, your payment is refunded immediately, and you may be advised to speak to your GP.
• What's included: tracked UK delivery is included in the price, and orders are typically dispatched within one to two working days of the prescription being issued.
• Support: regular clinical check-ins are built into the treatment plan, through secure messaging in your account, where the prescriber reviews progress and side effects. Clinical questions go through the same secure messaging; order questions go to the support team by email or phone.
• Your GP: Bolt Pharmacy notifies your registered GP after each prescription it supplies.
• Reorders and stopping: each reorder is reviewed by a prescriber after a check-in, and you can stop at any time, ideally after discussing it with a prescriber.
• Accountability: Bolt Healthcare Ltd, trading as Bolt Pharmacy, lists GPhC registration number 9013085, names its superintendent pharmacist, and publishes its ICO registration and a complaints process.

Bottom line

Price matters, and comparing it is worth doing. But it only tells you part of the story. Before you choose a provider, check how it assesses you, what happens if you're not approved, what the price includes, how you reach a clinician once you've started, how reorders work and who is accountable.

If a provider's website doesn't answer those questions, ask them directly. A service that is happy to explain how it works is usually a better sign than a low price on its own.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a video call?

Not necessarily. What matters is that the prescriber verifies your weight or BMI by some route other than the numbers you enter yourself, and can ask you questions. A video call is one way of doing that. Ask each provider how it does it.

Is the cheapest provider the worst?

Not at all. A low price can sit alongside a careful service. The point is to check the service as well as the price, rather than assuming either way.

Can I switch provider later?

Yes. A new provider will run its own consultation, so expect the same questions again, and tell them about the treatment you have had so far.

Where do I check a pharmacy's registration?

On the GPhC register for pharmacies in Great Britain, or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) register in Northern Ireland. Search the number yourself rather than relying on a badge on the website.