Found Weight Loss: Prescription Process, Intake Steps, and What to Expect

What Is Found and How Does Its Prescription Model Work?

Found is a direct-to-consumer telehealth platform focused exclusively on weight management. Clinicians on the platform prescribe FDA-approved medications and work with members through an app-based interface. The company does not operate brick-and-mortar clinics; every step from intake to refill happens online.

The prescription model is asynchronous by design. Members complete a detailed health questionnaire, upload photos of any relevant lab work or prior prescriptions, and a clinician reviews that information before writing or denying a prescription. This differs from synchronous telehealth platforms that require a live video call before a provider can prescribe.

The Clinical Basis for Asynchronous Prescribing

Asynchronous telehealth prescribing for weight-management medications is legally permissible in most U.S. States under telemedicine statutes, provided the clinician reviews sufficient clinical data to establish a patient-provider relationship. The Federation of State Medical Boards published updated telemedicine guidelines in 2020 that allow prescribing without a synchronous encounter when the clinical information collected is adequate for safe decision-making. [1]

Weight-loss medications such as bupropion/naltrexone (Contrave) and semaglutide (Wegovy) carry FDA labeling that requires a qualifying BMI and documentation of comorbidities or prior weight-loss attempts. Found's intake questionnaire is structured to capture those data points so the reviewing clinician can confirm eligibility.

FDA Eligibility Criteria Found Must Follow

The FDA approves semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher plus at least one weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. [2] Found's intake form mirrors these thresholds. Members who do not meet them are typically declined for GLP-1 therapy and may be offered an oral regimen instead.

Step-by-Step: The Found Intake Process

The intake process has five distinct stages. Understanding each stage helps set realistic expectations about timelines and what information to have ready.

Stage 1: Account Creation and Basic Screening

Members create an account at joinfound.com and answer an initial eligibility screener covering height, weight, age, and whether they are currently pregnant or breastfeeding. This screener takes roughly two to three minutes. Members who fall below the BMI threshold or who have contraindicated conditions (active eating disorder, pregnancy) are stopped here.

Stage 2: Medical Questionnaire

The core questionnaire asks about current medications, past and present diagnoses, family cardiac history, mental health history, and prior weight-loss interventions. This section typically takes 15 to 20 minutes. The depth of information collected is comparable to what a primary care provider would gather at a new-patient weight-management visit.

Members are asked specifically about:

• Prior use of weight-loss medications and reasons for stopping
• Cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmia)
• Personal or family history of thyroid cancer, particularly medullary thyroid carcinoma, given the GLP-1 class labeling
• Current use of opioids (contraindicated with naltrexone-containing regimens)
• Psychiatric history (relevant to bupropion safety)

Stage 3: Lab Work

Found does not require baseline labs before a clinician review, but the platform may request a metabolic panel or HbA1c before dispensing medications in members who report borderline glycemic values or kidney concerns. Members with a primary care provider are encouraged to upload recent labs. Where labs are needed, Found directs members to partner lab locations or accepts recent results from a personal provider.

This is a meaningful limitation compared to in-person obesity medicine programs that routinely check a fasting lipid panel, comprehensive metabolic panel, TSH, and HbA1c before starting pharmacotherapy, as recommended by the Obesity Medicine Association. [3]

Stage 4: Clinician Review and Prescription Decision

A licensed clinician (physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant) reviews the completed intake within 24 to 48 hours. The clinician may approve a prescription, request additional information via secure messaging, or decline and explain why. Members can message the clinician directly through the app during this window.

If approved, the prescription is sent to a partner pharmacy. Found uses both traditional pharmacies and, for compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide, 503B-registered compounding pharmacies (see GLP-1 availability section below).

Stage 5: Ongoing Monitoring and Dose Titration

After the first prescription, members check in monthly through the app. Clinicians adjust doses based on reported side effects, weight-loss progress, and any new lab results. Titration schedules for semaglutide follow the standard FDA-labeled ramp (0.25 mg weekly for four weeks, then stepwise increases toward the 2.4 mg maintenance dose). [2]

What Medications Does Found Prescribe?

Found's formulary is broader than many competitors. The platform offers both injectable GLP-1 medications and several oral agents, which is clinically relevant for members who cannot tolerate injections or who do not qualify for GLP-1 therapy.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Semaglutide (brand name Wegovy for weight loss, Ozempic for diabetes) is the primary GLP-1 option on the Found platform. In the STEP-1 trial (N=1,961), semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly produced a mean weight loss of 14.9% at 68 weeks versus 2.4% with placebo (P<0.001). [4] Tirzepatide (Zepbound) may also be available depending on supply and state regulations.

During the FDA shortage of branded Wegovy and Ozempic, Found (like many telehealth platforms) relied on compounded semaglutide from 503B outsourcing facilities. The FDA removed semaglutide from its drug shortage list in early 2025, which legally ended most compounded semaglutide prescribing by telehealth platforms. Members should ask their Found clinician explicitly whether their prescription is for branded Wegovy or a compounded formulation. [5]

Oral Weight-Loss Medications

Bupropion/naltrexone (Contrave): This combination affects dopaminergic and opioid reward pathways to reduce appetite and food cravings. The COR-I trial (N=1,742) showed 6.1% mean weight loss at 56 weeks versus 1.3% with placebo. [6] Found prescribes this frequently for members who prefer oral therapy or who do not meet GLP-1 BMI thresholds.

Metformin: Though not FDA-approved for weight loss, metformin is prescribed off-label and has a long safety record. The Diabetes Prevention Program (N=3,234) showed that metformin 1,700 mg/day reduced progression from prediabetes to diabetes by 31% over 2.8 years. [7] Found clinicians may use it as an adjunct, particularly for members with insulin resistance.

Topiramate: Used off-label for weight management, topiramate reduces appetite via multiple CNS mechanisms. It carries a risk of cognitive side effects and is teratogenic, so Found clinicians typically confirm reliable contraception before prescribing it to women of childbearing age.

What Found Does Not Prescribe

Found does not prescribe phentermine or any other Schedule IV controlled appetite suppressant. This limits options for members who have historically responded well to sympathomimetic agents. The platform also does not prescribe orlistat (Alli/Xenical), likely due to tolerability concerns that generate high member dropout.

Is Found Legitimate? Licensing and Regulatory Standing

Found operates as a telehealth company with licensed clinicians in each state where it offers services. The prescribers are real licensed professionals subject to state medical board oversight.

Several factors support Found's clinical legitimacy:

1. Prescriptions are written by individual licensed clinicians, not auto-generated.
2. The platform follows FDA labeling requirements for BMI and comorbidity thresholds.
3. Found holds BCBS partnerships, which require contracted health plans to vet provider networks.
4. The company publishes its clinical protocols and medication safety information publicly.

However, telehealth weight-loss platforms as a category have drawn FDA attention. In 2023, the FDA warned that some compounding pharmacies were producing semaglutide without verifying it met USP standards, and it cautioned patients about compounded GLP-1 products that may contain semaglutide sodium rather than semaglutide base. [5] Members using any telehealth GLP-1 service, including Found, should confirm the specific salt form and the compounding pharmacy's 503B registration status if receiving a compounded product.

The table below summarizes the key legitimacy checkpoints any patient should verify before subscribing to Found or any comparable platform.

| Checkpoint | What to Ask Found Directly | |---|---| | Prescriber license | "Can I see the NPI number of my clinician?" | | Pharmacy accreditation | "Is your pharmacy NABP-accredited or a 503B facility?" | | Semaglutide form | "Is this branded Wegovy or compounded semaglutide base?" | | State licensure | "Is your clinician licensed in my state?" | | Lab policy | "When will labs be required?" |

How Much Does Found Cost?

Found's pricing has several layers that affect total out-of-pocket spend.

Subscription Fee

The base membership runs approximately $99 per month. This covers the clinical intake, provider access, app features, and health coaching. The subscription does not include medication costs.

Medication Costs

GLP-1 medications are expensive without insurance. Branded Wegovy has a list price of approximately $1,349 per month for the 2.4 mg maintenance dose. Novo Nordisk offers a savings card that can reduce this to $0 for commercially insured patients who meet eligibility requirements, though the card does not work for Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries. [8]

Oral medications are considerably cheaper. Bupropion/naltrexone (generic Contrave) may run $30 to $80 per month at discount pharmacies depending on dose.

Insurance Coverage Through BCBS

Found has partnerships with select Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Coverage terms vary by plan, but some BCBS members pay as little as $0 per month for the subscription when their plan covers the membership fee. Medication coverage depends on the individual formulary. Members should call the number on their insurance card and ask specifically whether their plan covers Wegovy (GLP-1 receptor agonists for obesity, NDC 00169-4700-12) before enrolling. [9]

Total Cost Comparison

For a member without insurance paying list prices, Found plus branded Wegovy could exceed $1,450 per month. A member on a BCBS plan with coverage plus a manufacturer savings card might pay under $200 per month total. The gap is large enough that insurance verification should happen before signing up.

Found vs. Alternatives: How Does It Compare?

The telehealth weight-loss market includes Ro Body, Hims/Hers, Noom Med, WeightWatchers Clinic (formerly Sequence), and direct obesity medicine practices. Each has meaningful differences.

Formulary Breadth

Found's oral formulary (bupropion/naltrexone, metformin, topiramate) is broader than several competitors that focus exclusively on GLP-1 injectables. This matters for the estimated 30 to 40% of patients who are GLP-1-intolerant or ineligible.

Coaching Model

Found bundles peer community access and asynchronous health coaching into its subscription. Noom Med integrates behavioral psychology curriculum more formally. Neither replaces a registered dietitian, and neither is equivalent to the intensive behavioral therapy component required for Medicare obesity counseling benefit coverage. [10]

Compounding Practices

During the semaglutide shortage, multiple telehealth platforms used compounded formulations. With the shortage resolution in early 2025, platforms that fail to transition members to branded products may be operating in a regulatory gray zone. Found has publicly stated a transition plan, but members should confirm their specific prescription status.

In-Person Obesity Medicine

The American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) certifies physicians in obesity medicine; board-certified obesity medicine specialists offer comprehensive evaluation including indirect calorimetry, detailed metabolic assessment, and access to the full range of anti-obesity medications. For members with complex comorbidities (heart failure, prior bariatric surgery, active psychiatric illness), an ABOM-certified specialist is a safer starting point than any telehealth platform. [11]

Clinical Evidence Behind Found's Core Medications

Evaluating any weight-management program requires looking at the evidence behind the actual drugs prescribed, not the platform's marketing.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy)

The STEP program provides the strongest evidence base. STEP-1 (N=1,961) demonstrated 14.9% mean weight loss at 68 weeks. [4] STEP-4 showed that discontinuing semaglutide after 20 weeks led to regain of two-thirds of lost weight within one year, underscoring that this is a chronic medication requiring long-term use. [12] The SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial (N=17,604) later showed that semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in overweight or obese adults with established cardiovascular disease. [13]

Bupropion/Naltrexone (Contrave)

The COR program (four trials, combined N approximately 4,500) showed consistent but modest weight loss of 4 to 6% above placebo. [6] The FDA placed a cardiovascular outcomes trial requirement on Contrave; that study (LIGHT trial) was terminated early due to a protocol breach, leaving some uncertainty about long-term cardiovascular safety. Clinicians should use bupropion/naltrexone cautiously in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. [14]

Metformin for Weight Management

The American Diabetes Association's 2024 Standards of Care note that metformin may be considered for weight management in adults with overweight or obesity and prediabetes, particularly those under age 60. [15] The weight-loss effect is modest (1 to 3 kg on average), but the safety record over decades is well established.

What Found Reviews Reveal: Common Member Experiences

Aggregated member reviews on platforms like Trustpilot and the App Store (as of late 2024) show recurring themes. Positive reviews cite the convenience of the asynchronous process, the responsive in-app messaging, and access to GLP-1 medications without a long wait for a primary care appointment. Negative reviews cluster around three issues: delays in prior-authorization approvals for insurance coverage, difficulty reaching a live clinician for urgent questions, and confusion when transitioning between compounded and branded GLP-1 products.

These patterns are consistent with the broader telehealth weight-loss category. A 2022 analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine found that asynchronous-only telehealth platforms had lower patient satisfaction scores on communication quality than synchronous platforms, though overall medication adherence rates did not differ significantly. [16]

Who Is a Good Candidate for Found?

The strongest candidates for Found are adults who:

• Have a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one comorbidity, or a BMI of 30 or higher without comorbidities
• Are comfortable with app-based communication and do not need in-person care
• Have BCBS insurance that covers the subscription or GLP-1 medications
• Have no contraindications to the available formulary (no active opioid use for bupropion/naltrexone, no personal or family medullary thyroid carcinoma history for GLP-1 agents)
• Understand that weight-loss medications are chronic therapies, not short-term fixes

Adults with complex psychiatric histories, active substance use disorders, prior bariatric surgery, or significant cardiovascular disease should see an in-person specialist before enrolling in any telehealth-only weight-management program.