I just got an email from CareNow, a national chain of urgent care centers, informing me about an exciting new offering: telehealth management of GLP-1 meds. Losing weight ain’t easy, CareNow would like you to know. To see lasting results, you need a structured plan, medical insight, and ongoing support—from an urgent care doctor, ostensibly:
I've grown accustomed to seeing medical practices jump without warning into new service lines, including weight management. Sometimes the change makes sense. At other times, it can seem rather dubious.
Take cosmetic surgeons, for instance. While they are highly skilled at what they do, medical management just isn’t in their bailiwick. Nevertheless, cosmetic surgeons technically can offer GLP-1 management, and lots of them have started doing it.
Jaded as I am by the business shenanigans of medical practices, this email got my eyebrow up.1 Urgent care centers now? What’s next? “Your grandma is in good hands with our compassionate hospice care. Also, let us help you get beach-ready with a GLP-1!"
I’m not trying to say that an urgent care doctor can’t competently manage weight loss with GLP-1 medications. I’m sure they could learn to do it—with enough time, attention and experience. I also think that—in the general case—a patient is better off with a provider who already has decades of relevant experience under their belt. In medical practice, like in almost everything else, experience matters.
- ↑ My eyebrow also went up because I’ve never personally set foot in a CareNow facility. How'd you guys get my email?