STAT+: Telemedicine company touted by Novo Nordisk stressed profits over patient safety, ex-workers say

Highlights LifeMD, a telehealth company promoted by GLP-1 drugmaker Novo Nordisk, has urged its clinicians to see more patients and mete out prescriptions more rapidly, while providing little screening and follow-up, alleged five former employees in interviews and two lawsuits filed by former top leaders. The company, which strenuously denies the allegations, is part of a sprawling, loosely regulated industry of GLP-1 telehealth companies that experts say has been boosted by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. As competition between telehealth companies grows and more powerful obesity drugs come to the market, experts fear lax clinical oversight means some patients could be at greater risk of developing potentially serious side effects. Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, lists the telehealth company LifeMD on its website as a provider that offers “legitimate medicine sourcing and patient support” for people seeking GLP-1 drugs. But some former employees describe LifeMD differently, as a company that has sought to maximize the volume of prescriptions it doles out at the expense of patient safety. Former workers told STAT that providers were pressed to expedite their work to a pace that was not clinically responsible, with two of them saying providers at times were expected to review the cases of 25 people per hour based only on electronic forms the patients filled out — the equivalent of spending about two minutes on each case. The company also discouraged providers from asking what they felt were medically relevant questions to patients, so that they don’t “delay care,” former employees said. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe