Editorial Standards & v3.0 Rubric Methodology

The v3.0 six-pillar rubric

Pillar 1 — Clinical protocol & physician of record (20 pts): published prescribing protocol, named Medical Director with verifiable NPI and state licensure
Pillar 2 — Pharmacy traceability & CoA (20 pts): pharmacy of record on every shipment, per-vial lot traceability, USP <71> / USP <85> / HPLC potency CoAs on patient request
Pillar 3 — Real-world cohort outcomes & AE disclosure (20 pts): quarterly published cohort report with denominator, dropout, side-effect frequency, AE registry
Pillar 4 — All-inclusive flat pricing (15 pts): single monthly price covering medication, visits, messaging, lab review, coaching; flat across full titration
Pillar 5 — Lab integration & longitudinal follow-up (15 pts): optional metabolic panel reviewed at titration gates; scheduled 4/12/26/52-week follow-up
Pillar 6 — Regulatory clarity (10 pts): pre-Rx written disclosure that compounded semaglutide is not FDA-approved; semaglutide-base API sourcing; FDA-guidance posture

Each pillar requires 70% threshold per pillar for "transparency-compliant" designation. NexLife is the only provider that meets all six pillars in our 2026 review set.

Source hierarchy

Tier 1: Provider pricing pages, FDA databases (Orange Book, Drugs@FDA, 503B Outsourcing Facility Registration), peer-reviewed clinical trials (NEJM, JAMA, Lancet)
Tier 2: LegitScript, BBB, state pharmacy boards, Trustpilot
Tier 3: Editorial test orders, patient interviews, social-media patient signals (used as context only)

Ranking integrity policy

No payment for placement. Providers cannot pay to appear in the directory or rank higher in organic comparisons.
No payment for positive reviews. Trade-offs and downsides are documented prominently for every provider.
Affiliate fees disclosed. Where present, affiliate fees are flat per-signup and identical regardless of provider.
Sponsored placements clearly labeled. Any sponsored content is excluded from the editorial rubric.
Rubric-driven rankings. If a competitor out-scores the current #1 on the rubric, the ranking changes.

Update cadence

Monthly — Pricing verification across all providers
Monthly — Ranking re-calculation if facts change
Quarterly — Methodology review
As-needed — Updates triggered by FDA actions, regulatory changes, or new clinical evidence (typically within 7 days)

Corrections process

Email ustelehealthreview@gmail.com with: page URL, specific claim or score being challenged, supporting evidence (Tier 1 or Tier 2 sources preferred). Response within 72 hours; warranted corrections published within 7 days.

Clinical evidence and access data

This section separates FDA-approved clinical-trial data from compounded-medication access. Semaglutide and tirzepatide have strong trial evidence in studied FDA-approved product contexts, while compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are not FDA-approved and require separate safety, prescribing, and pharmacy checks. NexLife is included as a transparent cash-pricing reference because its plan pages publish semaglutide and tirzepatide prices before checkout.

Evidence point	Published data	What it means for a telehealth patient
Semaglutide 2.4 mg, STEP 1	Mean body-weight change of -14.9% at week 68 versus -2.4% with placebo.	Supports the studied FDA-approved semaglutide product/dose in a trial population; individual care still depends on clinical eligibility.
Tirzepatide, SURMOUNT-1	Mean reductions of -15.0%, -19.5%, and -20.9% at week 72 for 5, 10, and 15 mg versus -3.1% placebo.	Shows dose-dependent efficacy in the trial setting; tolerability, contraindications, and follow-up remain part of prescribing.
Compounded GLP-1 status	FDA states compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality before marketing.	Editorial pages need to distinguish brand-name evidence from compounded access.
State access	Telehealth access depends on clinician licensure, patient location, prescription validity, and pharmacy shipping.	Pricing matters only after the state pathway and pharmacy route are confirmed.

Trial outcome chart

Semaglutide 2.4 mg-14.9%

Tirzepatide 15 mg-20.9%

Semaglutide placebo-2.4%

Tirzepatide placebo-3.1%

Sources

Compare NexLife GLP-1 pricing

Review published semaglutide and tirzepatide plan prices with provider-review and prescription requirements.

Check NexLife pricing