Frequently asked

PrescriberNow is a clinician-led telehealth platform that connects patients with board-certified providers licensed in their state. We focus on common conditions that don't require an in-person exam — things like UTIs, cold sores, skin conditions, refills, sexual health, and chronic care management. Prescriptions are sent to a pharmacy of your choice, ideally a local independent pharmacy in our partner network. We're not a healthcare provider ourselves; we're the software platform that makes the connection seamless and the documentation HIPAA-compliant.

Click Start intake on any page, choose your condition, and answer a short questionnaire about your symptoms and medical history. The whole intake usually takes 4–7 minutes. You'll create a free account, enter your state of residence (so we can match you with a licensed provider), and submit. A board-certified clinician reviews your case, typically within a few hours. You'll get notifications by email and inside your patient dashboard at every step.

For most conditions, no. PrescriberNow uses asynchronous (store-and-forward) telehealth, meaning you submit your intake whenever it's convenient and a provider reviews it shortly after. There's no scheduling, no waiting room, and no time pressure. For conditions that require a real-time conversation — certain mental-health follow-ups, hormone therapy initiation, or complex cases — we'll prompt you to book a short video visit at a time that works for you.

PrescriberNow's provider network covers a growing number of U.S. states — you're matched to a clinician licensed in the state you live in. If you travel and need care in another state, you can update your address during intake and we'll route you to a provider licensed there. We can't treat patients located outside the United States or its territories.

Our providers are MDs, DOs, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who are board-certified or board-eligible and hold active, unrestricted licenses in the states where they practice. We verify every license, DEA registration where applicable, and malpractice coverage at onboarding and re-verify annually. Many of our providers also maintain in-person practices.

PrescriberNow is not a replacement for a primary care provider. We're built for episodic care (acute issues like a UTI) and ongoing management of stable, well-defined chronic conditions (like hair loss or HRT continuation). For comprehensive preventive care, complex multi-system issues, or anything requiring a physical exam or labs we can't arrange, please see your in-person primary care doctor. We'll happily share your visit notes with them if you ask.

Most intakes take 4–7 minutes. We ask only what's clinically relevant — your symptoms, relevant medical history, current medications, allergies, and a photo if the condition involves the skin. We don't ask for unnecessary information, and you can save and return to your intake if you need to step away. Longer intakes (like initial HRT) may take 10–15 minutes because the questionnaire is more thorough.

You can edit your intake any time before submission. After you submit, send a secure message through your patient dashboard and your provider will see the correction before they make a decision. Don't worry about being judged for typos or having to rephrase something — providers regularly receive clarifications and would much rather have accurate information than perfectly worded answers.

Yes, for most visits we ask for a photo of a government-issued ID to confirm you are who you say you are. This protects you (so no one else can request prescriptions in your name) and helps providers meet their state-board requirements. Your ID is stored encrypted, viewable only by the provider treating you, and never shared with marketing or third parties.

Yes — and for skin conditions like acne, rashes, or wound checks, we strongly recommend it. Take photos in good natural light, hold the camera 6–12 inches away, and include both a wide shot and a close-up. You can upload directly from your phone or desktop. Photos are encrypted in transit and at rest and visible only to your provider.

Pick the closest match. Our providers can re-route your visit internally if your symptoms point to something different, and you won't be charged twice. If you're truly unsure, choose Urgent Care from the catalog — that intake covers a broad range of common acute issues and a provider will guide you from there.

You can submit on behalf of a minor child if you're a parent or legal guardian, and you'll be asked to confirm that relationship. We don't currently support adult-to-adult proxy visits because state telehealth rules generally require the patient to be the one providing consent and clinical information.

Most visits are reviewed within 2–4 hours during business hours, and often faster. After-hours and weekend submissions are reviewed first thing the next morning, though many of our providers work flexible hours and may pick up overnight cases. You'll get an email and dashboard notification the moment a decision is made.

A board-certified provider licensed in your state reviews your intake. If they have follow-up questions, you'll get a secure message in your patient dashboard. If they approve treatment, a prescription is sent electronically to your chosen pharmacy and you'll get a notification. If they don't think medication is appropriate, they'll explain why and suggest next steps or an alternative. The evaluation fee covers the clinician’s review.

They'll send you a secure message through your dashboard and you'll get an email letting you know. Replies typically take just a sentence or two. The faster you respond, the faster your visit moves forward. If a question requires a real-time conversation, your provider may convert your visit to a short video visit at no extra cost.

For follow-up visits within an ongoing treatment (like HRT or chronic care), we try to keep you with the same provider for continuity. For new acute visits, we route to the next available licensed clinician to keep wait times short. If you have a preference, mention it in the intake notes and we'll do our best.

It happens — and it should. If your symptoms suggest something more serious, if the medication you requested isn't appropriate, or if more information is needed than a remote visit can provide, the provider will explain their reasoning and recommend next steps (often a referral to in-person care). The evaluation fee covers the clinician’s time and judgment, so it applies whether or not a prescription results — the same as any professional consultation.

Yes. During intake you can select any pharmacy in our partner network or send your prescription to your usual local pharmacy. We work with independently owned community pharmacies whenever possible because they typically offer better pricing, faster fills, and personalized service compared to large chains. Once a prescription is sent, you can still ask your pharmacist to transfer it elsewhere if needed.

The moment your provider approves treatment, the prescription is transmitted electronically (e-prescribed) to your pharmacy — usually within seconds. Most pharmacies have it ready for pickup within 1–4 hours, often faster at our partner independents. You'll get a notification when the pharmacy confirms it's ready.

PrescriberNow does not prescribe controlled substances of any schedule (II–V) — no stimulants, opioids, benzodiazepines, or other controlled medications — whether by asynchronous or video visit. Our clinicians prescribe only non-controlled medications, when clinically appropriate, and will decline requests that don’t meet legitimate medical-necessity standards.

Yes. For most chronic conditions we manage, refills are simple — submit a short follow-up intake confirming nothing has changed and your provider can authorize additional refills, often the same day. For controlled medications where applicable, follow-up evaluations may be required on a set cadence per state and federal rules.

Your pharmacy will contact you (and us) if there's a stocking issue. We can transfer the prescription to another pharmacy nearby or, for partner independent pharmacies, ask about expedited ordering. For specialty or compounded medications, we'll connect you with a compounding pharmacy in our network.

Visit fees are paid out-of-pocket and not currently billed to insurance. Your medication, however, can be billed to your prescription drug plan at the pharmacy just like any other prescription. Some patients find cash prices at our partner independent pharmacies are actually lower than their insurance copay — your pharmacist can compare.

Visit fees vary by condition and are shown upfront before you submit your intake — there are no surprise charges. Most general care visits are flat-rate. Medication costs are separate and paid to your pharmacy. The fee covers the clinician's review of your case; if no clinician reviews your case, you're refunded in full. We display the total cost on the intake summary page so you can decide before committing.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, plus HSA and FSA cards. Payment is processed through a PCI-compliant gateway; we never see or store your full card number. If your HSA/FSA card is rejected because the merchant code isn't recognized, you can pay with a regular card and submit the receipt to your plan administrator for reimbursement.

Yes. Telehealth visit fees are a qualified medical expense under IRS rules. You can pay with your HSA or FSA card directly, or pay with another card and submit your itemized receipt (downloadable any time from your dashboard) to your plan administrator for reimbursement.

For certain ongoing treatments (HRT, hair loss, weight management), we offer optional monthly or quarterly subscription pricing that bundles visit fees and check-ins. Subscriptions are clearly labeled, cancellable any time from your dashboard, and never auto-renewed without notice. Most patients use pay-as-you-go visits.

The evaluation fee is refunded in full if no clinician reviews your case — you cancel before review begins, a technical error prevents review, or you were charged twice. Once a clinician has reviewed your case, the fee is non-refundable, even if they decline to prescribe: you’re paying for their time and judgment, not a specific outcome. Full details: Refund Policy.

Yes. PrescriberNow is HIPAA-compliant. We use encrypted connections, signed Business Associate Agreements with our infrastructure providers including Google Workspace, and strict access controls. Your health information is only shared with the provider treating you and the pharmacy filling your prescription, plus anyone you explicitly authorize. We never sell your data. Full details are in our Privacy Policy and HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.

Only the licensed clinician(s) treating you, the pharmacy you've selected to fill prescriptions, and limited platform staff with a documented operational need (like helping with a billing issue, under audit logging). We do not share your records with employers, family members, marketers, or data brokers. You can download your full records any time from your dashboard.

No. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal or health information — not to advertisers, not to data brokers, not to anyone. Our revenue comes from visit fees and platform fees, not from monetizing patient data. We don't even use third-party advertising trackers on pages where patients are logged in.

We retain medical records for the minimum period required by state law (typically 7 years for adults, longer for minors). After that, records are securely destroyed unless you've asked us to keep them longer for your own reference. You can request a copy or deletion of your account at any time, subject to legal retention requirements.

Yes. PrescriberNow operates as a HIPAA Business Associate. We have signed Business Associate Agreements with all vendors that touch PHI (including Google Workspace under their HIPAA-eligible products), maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, log access to PHI, and have a documented breach-notification process. Our Notice of Privacy Practices is published on the Privacy page.

Not for most conditions — most visits are handled asynchronously through the intake form and secure messages. Video visits are required for certain situations: hormone therapy initiation, some mental-health care, and any case where the provider thinks a face-to-face conversation will help. You'll know upfront if your condition requires one.

A device with a camera and microphone (smartphone, tablet, or computer), a stable internet connection, and a quiet, private space. We send a one-click join link — no app downloads or accounts required. We recommend testing your camera and mic 5 minutes before your appointment using the test link in your dashboard.

Most video visits are 10–15 minutes. Initial consultations for ongoing therapies (HRT, weight management) may run 20–25 minutes. We don't double-book or run on a strict factory schedule, so your provider can take the time needed without rushing you.

If you can't connect, refresh the page first — it solves about 80% of issues. Still stuck? Use the dashboard chat or text the number in your appointment confirmation; we'll switch to a phone call so you don't lose your slot. Visits interrupted by technical problems are not charged twice.

We do not prescribe psychiatric medications, including SSRIs and SNRIs. Our anxiety and depression pages are educational; for mental-health treatment we recommend an in-person clinician or a dedicated mental-health provider. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.

We offer non-controlled hormone therapy for menopause and perimenopause. We do not prescribe testosterone or other controlled hormones — our TRT pages are educational only, and we recommend an in-person or specialty provider for testosterone care.

Yes, including GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide where clinically appropriate. Our weight management program includes an initial evaluation, ongoing check-ins, and lifestyle support. We follow current clinical guidelines on BMI thresholds, comorbidities, and contraindications, and we won't prescribe weight-loss medication to patients who don't meet medical criteria.

Yes — ED, premature ejaculation, low libido, herpes management, HSV suppression, HPV-related concerns, and most STI follow-ups. For new STI symptoms we may require lab testing first, which we can order through partner labs. Visits are confidential and never appear on insurance EOBs (we don't bill insurance for visits).

Yes, for many common pediatric conditions (cold sores, pink eye, mild skin issues, lice, etc.) with parent or guardian consent. Some conditions and most controlled-substance situations are adults-only. The age policy is shown on each condition page.

For visits that require labs, we can send an order to a national lab partner (Quest or Labcorp) for a draw at a location near you, or accept recent results you upload. Lab costs are paid separately. Some labs may be billable to your insurance; we'll let you know upfront.