Purpose
Name the goal
Ask what problem the plan is meant to address and how progress will be judged.
Sort the decisionThe repeatable pathway
Check the care in the same order every time
The point is not to become an expert. It is to keep one unknown from hiding behind another.
The sequence
Four checks, each with one job
Begin with the reason for care. A medicine name means little until it is tied to the problem being treated.
Then check the medical professional and the pharmacy separately. They answer to different state boards.
Medical professional
Check the licence
For online care, use the state where you will be sitting during the visit because that state’s rules apply.
Check the medical professionalPharmacy
Check the source
Match the pharmacy name to its state board record.
Check the pharmacyPrice
Add the whole plan
Put visits, medicine, tests and follow-up on one line.
Plan the costChoose a route
Online and in-person care use the same core checks
The visit format changes the feel of care. It does not replace the need for a licensed medical professional, a clear assessment and a pharmacy you can name.
- Online care: confirm a current licence or other legal authorization in your state and a way to ask follow-up questions.
- In-person care: ask the same product, pharmacy and cost questions.
Next in the pathway
Deciding between screen and office?
See what changes and what does not.