Some telehealth platforms that specialize in addiction treatment are not waiting for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved GLP-1 medication to treat addiction, marketing off-label prescriptions for GLP-1s, both branded and compounded.

The details: Some clinicians support off-label prescriptions when patients are well-informed about the risks and benefits, but telehealth platforms marketing GLP-1s for addiction trouble some experts.

Pro: Some point to the clear unmet need for addiction treatment and argue this can help fill that gap. Telehealth companies that provide off-label GLP-1 prescriptions for addiction say that their platforms enable easier access to stigmatized care. Companies say they have built protocols to address risks and provide clinical oversight, referring patients out when they need more intensive care, stressing clinician discretion, providing medical assessments, etc. And they say the doses of compounded GLP-1s they use for addiction are lower than the FDA-approved obesity and diabetes drugs. Some of the companies note that clinicians talk to patients and often recommend other drugs as first-line treatments before moving on to GLP-1s.
Con: Others are concerned the practice could result in fragmented care and potentially inappropriate prescriptions as researchers are still working to vet the treatments. While the studies on GLP-1s for addiction are encouraging, they have relatively small sample sizes, and some are limited to lab-based measures of drinking and cravings. They leave some important questions unanswered about how the medications will impact patients with addiction, and it is unclear what happens when patients stop taking the medication. Physicians are concerned that patients who seek out GLP-1s for their addiction online will be more likely to get those drugs, prescribed off-label and potentially compounded, rather than the most cost-effective treatment for their condition. Some patients may not be aware that GLP-1s are not approved by FDA to treat any addiction disorder.