California

No — California is asynchronous-first. A California-licensed provider can review your intake by secure message and, if appropriate, prescribe semaglutide without ever scheduling a video call, as long as the standard of care is met. A provider may ask for a brief video visit or additional labs if your history calls for it, but most patients complete everything asynchronously.

Start Pallas's online intake, which takes about five minutes and covers your health history, goals, and current medications. A clinician licensed by the Medical Board of California reviews it asynchronously — California does not require a video visit — and may follow up by secure message or request labs if your history calls for it. If a GLP-1 is clinically appropriate, your clinician writes a prescription that a US-licensed pharmacy fills and ships to your California address, usually within a few business days.

Start Pallas's online intake and share your health history, goals, and current medications — it takes about five minutes. A clinician licensed by the Medical Board of California reviews it asynchronously (no video visit required in California) and, if tirzepatide is clinically appropriate, prescribes it based on your documented history. Pallas offers both compounded tirzepatide, prepared per-patient by US-licensed pharmacies under FDCA §503A when your clinician documents a patient-specific clinical rationale, and FDA-approved Zepbound^® and Mounjaro^® (Eli Lilly), through the same intake — your clinician discusses which option fits your situation. A US-licensed pharmacy then ships your prescription to your California address.

Yes — compounded semaglutide is available and legal for eligible California residents through licensed telehealth, when prescribed by a California-licensed provider and dispensed by a US-licensed 503A (or 503B) compounding pharmacy for an individual patient based on a documented, patient-specific clinical rationale. Pallas serves California with free shipping and works only with U.S. state-licensed compounding pharmacies that meet these requirements. FDA-approved brand-name options like Wegovy^® and Zepbound^® are also available through the same intake.

Several licensed telehealth platforms serve California residents with compounded semaglutide. Before choosing one, verify that its clinicians are independently licensed in California (not just licensed somewhere else), that it dispenses through US-licensed 503A compounding pharmacies, and that it holds LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Certification, which you can confirm in LegitScript's public certification database. Pallas serves California residents, works only with U.S. state-licensed 503A compounding pharmacies, and is LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Certified.

Not for weight loss anymore — Medi-Cal removed Wegovy^®, Zepbound^®, and Saxenda^® for weight-loss indications for adults 21 and older effective January 1, 2026, keeping GLP-1 coverage for type 2 diabetes plus narrow exceptions (Wegovy^® for cardiovascular risk reduction or MASH; Zepbound^® for obstructive sleep apnea). Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not covered by Medi-Cal. Pallas is a cash-pay service, so Medi-Cal coverage does not apply to our prescriptions.

Pallas is a cash-pay telehealth service — there is no insurance to bill. Your Pallas Membership covers your clinician's review, ongoing check-ins, and care-team messaging; the medication is billed separately and ships free to your California address, only when a clinician prescribes it, typically arriving within 2–3 business days of the pharmacy filling your prescription. You see your full price during intake before you pay anything — no surprise renewal markups. The price is the same whether you are in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, or a rural California ZIP code.

Eligibility is always decided by a California-licensed clinician after reviewing your full intake, never by an automated quiz. In general, GLP-1 medications for weight management are considered for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher together with a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnea. Your clinician also reviews your medical history and current medications to confirm a GLP-1 is appropriate and safe for you, and will tell you if it is not.

Brand-name medications — Wegovy^® and Ozempic^® (semaglutide) and Zepbound^® and Mounjaro^® (tirzepatide) — are FDA-approved products from their manufacturers, offered cash-pay. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are prepared on a per-patient basis by US-licensed compounding pharmacies, regulated under federal law (FDCA §503A) and by state boards of pharmacy, when a clinician documents a patient-specific clinical need. While these pharmacies are highly regulated, the compounded medications themselves are not FDA-approved, are not generic versions of brand-name drugs, and have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, efficacy, or quality. Which option fits you is a clinical decision you make with your California-licensed provider.

Yes, many patients transfer their care to Pallas. During intake you tell your clinician which medication and dose you take now and how you have tolerated it. Your California-licensed provider reviews that history and, if appropriate, continues you at a comparable dose or adjusts your titration plan. Do not stop or change a prescription on your own — let your clinician guide any transition.

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal — nausea, constipation, diarrhea, or reflux — and they are usually mildest when the dose is raised slowly, which is why clinicians titrate up gradually. GLP-1s are not right for everyone; they are avoided in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2, and during pregnancy. Your Pallas clinician screens for these before prescribing and stays available to help you manage any side effects.

You complete a detailed online intake in under five minutes, sharing your health history, goals, and current medications. A clinician licensed by the Medical Board of California reviews it asynchronously in most cases — no live video required — and may follow up by secure message or request labs if your history calls for it. If a GLP-1 is appropriate, your prescription goes to a licensed pharmacy that ships to any California address, usually within a few business days.

Pallas care is ongoing, not a one-time script. Your plan renews on a regular cadence so your medication arrives before you run out, and your clinician schedules check-ins to monitor your response, adjust your dose, and manage side effects. You can message your care team, change your plan, or cancel anytime from your patient portal — no phone calls or retention hoops.

Possibly — it depends on your full medication list and health history, so there is no way to answer in the abstract. During intake you list every prescription, over-the-counter medication, and supplement you currently take. Your California-licensed clinician reviews that list for interactions and contraindications before prescribing, and may follow up with questions about specific medications like insulin, other diabetes drugs, or blood thinners. Never stop or change an existing prescription on your own — let your clinician guide any adjustment.

Most patients start at a low dose so their body can adjust — typically a once-weekly injection with a very fine needle, though a compounded oral semaglutide tablet is available if you would rather not inject — and your California-licensed clinician plans a gradual increase over the following weeks based on how you respond. Mild gastrointestinal side effects — nausea, changes in appetite, occasional constipation — are common early on and typically ease as your dose stabilizes. Your care team checks in before any dose change and is reachable by secure message throughout, so you are never guessing whether what you're feeling is expected.

Yes. Most California nurse practitioners prescribe (the state's legal term is furnishing) under physician-approved standardized procedures, and NPs certified under AB 890 can practice without them — including, as of January 2026, fully independent practice for the most experienced tier. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are not controlled substances, so California permits the entire process — intake, prescription, and follow-up — through telehealth. Every Pallas clinician who treats California patients holds an active California license.

Compounded semaglutide injection through Pallas is $139 for your first month, then $597 every 12 weeks ($199/mo average). Cancel anytime. That one plan price includes your US-licensed provider, ongoing check-ins, dose adjustments, and unlimited care-team messaging — no separate membership fee. Medication ships free to any California address, only if a clinician prescribes it, and you are refunded in full if a clinician decides treatment isn't right for you.

Compounded tirzepatide injection through Pallas is $179 for your first month, then $897 every 12 weeks ($299/mo average). Cancel anytime. That one plan price includes your US-licensed provider, ongoing check-ins, dose adjustments, and unlimited care-team messaging — no separate membership fee. Medication ships free to any California address, only if a clinician prescribes it, and you are refunded in full if a clinician decides treatment isn't right for you.

Yes. FDA-approved Wegovy^® and Zepbound^® for chronic weight management — plus Ozempic^® and Mounjaro^® for type 2 diabetes — are available to California patients cash-pay from $1069/mo; insurance is not billed. Whether a brand-name or compounded medication is appropriate for you is determined by a clinician licensed in California during intake.

Coverage of GLP-1 medications for weight loss through Medi-Cal is limited. Medi-Cal removed Wegovy^®, Zepbound^®, and Saxenda^® from coverage for weight-loss indications for members 21 and older effective January 1, 2026. FDA-approved GLP-1s remain covered for type 2 diabetes with a diagnosis restriction, with narrow exceptions (Wegovy^® for cardiovascular risk reduction or MASH; Zepbound^® for obstructive sleep apnea). Compounded products are not covered. Pallas is a cash-pay telehealth service — we do not bill Medi-Cal or private insurance. Pricing is flat and disclosed up front; the cost questions on this page carry current plan terms.

You have two cash-pay paths in California, and neither requires insurance. One: stay on FDA-approved Wegovy^® or Zepbound^® at flat cash-pay pricing from $1069/mo. Two: if a clinician licensed in California determines it is clinically appropriate for you, a compounded semaglutide plan ($139 for your first month, then $597 every 12 weeks ($199/mo average). Cancel anytime.) or compounded tirzepatide plan ($179 for your first month, then $897 every 12 weeks ($299/mo average). Cancel anytime.), prepared per-patient by a US-licensed pharmacy under FDCA §503A. There is no gap in care: start the online intake, tell your clinician what you take now and your current dose, and they factor that history into your treatment plan and starting dose. Our guide to switching GLP-1 telehealth providers on the Pallas blog covers records, timing, and what to expect.

That is a decision you make with your clinician. Semaglutide activates the GLP-1 receptor; tirzepatide activates both the GLP-1 and GIP receptors. In the SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head trial of the FDA-approved products, Zepbound^® (tirzepatide 10 mg or 15 mg weekly) produced greater average weight loss than Wegovy^® (semaglutide 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg weekly) — 20.2% versus 13.7% of body weight over 72 weeks. Wegovy^®'s maximum dose is now 7.2 mg weekly, which was not studied in SURMOUNT-5; in the separate STEP UP trial it reached 18.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks. Clinical trial outcomes for the FDA-approved products have not been established for compounded preparations. Individual results vary. Semaglutide plans cost less and semaglutide has the longer post-market record; a clinician licensed in California weighs your history, goals, and budget to recommend a starting point.