Who qualifies for a GLP-1? Eligibility explained

Eligibility is more than a BMI number: it is the contraindications, your other medications and a clinician's judgment. What is screened, and who is declined.

People usually arrive at this question expecting a number. The number is part of it, and it is the smallest part. Eligibility is a clinician's judgment about whether a medication is appropriate for you specifically, and plenty of people who meet the number are not eligible.

What the labels say

The approved products for chronic weight management are indicated for adults meeting BMI-based criteria — a higher threshold on its own, or a slightly lower one accompanied by at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnea. The approved products for type 2 diabetes have their own indication, which is about the diabetes rather than about weight.

GLP's programs are for weight management, not diabetes care, and are for adults 18 to 74.

Why BMI is not the whole answer

Because BMI is a crude measure that says nothing about your medical history, and the things that rule treatment out are historical and medication-related rather than anthropometric. Someone comfortably above a threshold with a contraindication is not eligible; someone near a threshold with a weight-related condition may be.

What rules treatment out

• A personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 — contraindications on the approved labels.
• A previous serious allergic reaction to the medication.
• Pregnancy, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding.
• A history of pancreatitis or gallbladder disease, which calls for clinical judgment rather than being absolute.
• Significant gastrointestinal conditions, including severe gastroparesis.
• Type 1 diabetes, and certain combinations with insulin or sulfonylureas, which need careful handling.
• Current eating disorder or a history of one, which changes the conversation entirely.

None of those lists is exhaustive, which is the point of an assessment rather than a checklist.

What the assessment covers

What if I am declined?

Then the screening worked. A decline should come with an explanation and, where there is one, an alternative — and it is a better outcome than a prescription that should not have been written. A service that approves everyone is not screening anyone; it is processing payments behind a form.

Being declined for one reason does not always mean permanently: a reason that can change, such as a medication that could be reviewed or a plan to become pregnant, may make the answer different later.

How it works at GLP

A free assessment, reviewed by a licensed clinician holding an active license in the state you are in at the time of your visit. Most reviews are completed within 24 hours; sometimes a clinician asks for more information or a short telehealth visit. In some states a live video visit is required before a first prescription. If treatment is prescribed, the medication is compounded. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality. If it is not appropriate, you are told why.

This article is educational and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Whether any medication is appropriate for you is a decision for a licensed clinician who has reviewed your health history.