In a survey of over 2,000 doctors, a majority believed GLP-1s need to be paired with changes in diet and exercise to be effective in driving healthy weight loss.
Three-quarters of physicians surveyed said they are more likely to prescribe GLP-1s for weight loss to patients with cardiometabolic comorbidities.
Omada Health, the virtual between-visit healthcare provider, today announced findings from a January 2025 attitudinal survey of over 2,000 U.S. primary care physicians (PCPs)1 conducted to better understand their experience and perceptions of GLP-1 treatments for weight loss.
Recent polling suggests that approximately 1 in 8 U.S. adults report having ever used a GLP-1 medication. As demand for GLP-1 medications remains steadfast, this survey asked PCPs, who had more than a decade of internal, family, or general medicine practice experience on average, about their attitudes toward their patients’ use of GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss, their comfort levels with compounded GLP-1s, their perceptions of patients accessing these medications through third-party telehealth prescribers, and their own willingness to prescribe GLP-1s. The survey defined third-party telehealth prescribers as those who prescribe GLP/GIPs for weight loss to patients who may be under the care of a different traditional primary care physician who is not otherwise part of their practice and is distinct from specialists in their system’s network.
Primary care physicians (PCPs) raised concerns about the risks of patient use of third-party telehealth prescribers of GLP-1s for weight loss.
- Two-thirds of PCPs (67%) surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that accessing GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss through a third-party telehealth provider may put their patient’s health at risk.
- Few respondents (18%) said they were comfortable with their patients using third-party telehealth prescribers for GLP-1 weight loss treatment and more than half (57%) said that they caution their patients against accessing GLP-1s for weight loss through these services.
- Top concerns of third-party telehealth prescribing reported by PCPs included overprescribing (clinically inappropriate prescribing) (56%) and continuity of care such as follow-up visits, titration, and/or tapering off the medication (50%).
Physicians believe compounded GLP-1 medications are less regulated, less consistent, and less safe than branded medications.
- PCPs agreed or strongly agreed that compounded GLP-1s are less regulated (68%), not as consistent (55%), and not as safe (47%) as branded GLP-1s.
- 42% reported that they advise their patients against using compounded GLP-1s for weight loss.
PCPs also underscored the role of lifestyle change in prescribing GLP-1s for weight loss and a majority reported requiring patients to try non-pharmacological approaches before prescribing GLP-1/GIPs (53%).
- PCPs estimated that nearly 30% of their patients have requested GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss. On average, physicians reported approving more than half of these requests (53%), with approvals more frequently granted to patients with cardiometabolic comorbidities (75%) or diabetes (79%).
- The vast majority of PCPs agreed or strongly agreed that GLP-1s need to be paired with changes in diet (87%) and exercise (79%) to be effective in driving healthy weight loss.
- PCPs also believed that support around nutrition (88%), emotional eating (63%), and discontinuing GLP-1 treatment (55%) increase the chances of positive health outcomes of weight loss treatment with GLP-1s.
“With expanding indications for GLP-1s gaining approval, the GLP-1 supply shaping up to be less of an issue, and a surge in telemedicine companies targeting patients with both branded and compounded GLP-1s for weight loss, prescriptions for these drugs will likely continue to increase,” said Wei-Li Shao, President, Omada Health. “These findings underscore the importance of responsible prescribing to GLP-1s with oversight from primary care physicians within the medical home, which promotes coordinated care specific and relevant to what each patient needs to achieve healthy, sustained weight loss.”
These results support Omada’s recent findings that, even upon discontinuing GLP-1s, it is possible to maintain weight loss by implementing lifestyle modification strategies that include diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. Further, these strategies can also help promote meaningful weight loss while taking a GLP-1. A recent retrospective analysis conducted with Express Scripts found that Omada members who used a GLP-1 and had meaningful engagement with Omada’s program lost 1.7x the weight at month 12 compared with limited engagement.
“Primary care physicians have the most comprehensive view of their patient’s medical history and ongoing care and are central to managing their overall health,” said Justin Wu, MD, VP of Clinical Innovation and Quality at Omada Health. “There’s also a clear need for programs that provide support between office visits, offering proven wraparound services that address patients’ unique health needs—beyond focusing solely on the number on the scale.”
This survey is one of several real-world studies and surveys derived from Omada’s ANSWERS (ANalyzing Success of WEight medication with Real-world evidence and Stats) Initiative, launched earlier this year to evaluate factors associated with medication usage and the relationship between lifestyle program participation on long-term outcomes of weight health, with and without GLP-1 use, at a population level. Learn more about Omada Health’s approach to GLP-1 medications and coverage here.
Omada Health
Omada Health is a virtual-first healthcare provider that nurtures lifelong health, one day at a time. Omada care teams implement clinically-validated behavior change protocols for individuals living with diabetes, hypertension, prediabetes, and musculoskeletal issues. With more than a decade of experience and data, and 29 peer-reviewed publications that showcase its clinical and economic results, Omada is designed to help improve health outcomes and contain healthcare costs. Omada’s scope exceeds 2,000 customers, including health plans, health systems, and employers ranging in size from small businesses to Fortune 500s.
The foundation of Omada’s success is a strong, vibrant work culture, which helped earn the company the distinction of becoming an officially certified Great Place to Work. An industry leader, Omada was the first virtual provider to join the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Leadership Alliance, reflecting the aim to complement primary care providers for the benefit of members, and affirming its guarantee to every partner: Omada works differently.
1 Responses were collected between 12/30/2025 and 1/7/2025. Respondents received nominal pay for their participation.
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“These findings underscore the importance of responsible prescribing to GLP-1s with oversight from primary care physicians within the medical home."
Contacts
Rose Ramseth
press@omadahealth.com
