Keep in mind
Start with the person behind the page
A search result gives you a name. Keep it on a scrap of paper while you check the answers below.
A state medical board grants doctor licences and keeps public records of action taken against doctors.
Get the complete name of whoever would assess you, whether a doctor or another health professional. A company name alone will not answer that question.
Beyond the name you found
What kind of care is this?
Semaglutide is a medicine that copies a gut hormone, a signal the body makes after food.
It affects hunger and helps the body deal with sugar.
As of September 2026, US law requires a prescription from a licensed prescriber. A pharmacy needs that order before supplying a prescription medicine to you.
The person authorised to issue that order is called a prescriber. Bring your goals and questions to that person.
Keep in mind
Pick the question on your mind
Start wherever you feel unsure. Keep the question that matters most beside your provider’s name.
Beyond the name you found
Take this opening question with you
Who will review my health, and how can I check their licence?
Write down the answer. Follow it by asking which medicine they mean and how much the complete care plan would cost.
Open the take-along question sheetEndnotes
Notes for this chapter
- Medical boards: public doctor records
The licence check starts with the board’s record.
- Drug label: what semaglutide does
The label describes the medicine and its effects.
- US prescription rule
This law requires a prescription before the pharmacy supplies the medicine.