Lavender Sky Health runs a pay-per-consult telehealth model rather than a subscription. A patient books a visit, a licensed clinician reviews the intake, and an approved prescription goes to a pharmacy the patient selects from a state-specific list. Refills are available between required follow-ups, and support runs through a patient portal and email rather than a phone line.
The intake and the first visit
Three consult formats are offered: an electronic form reviewed asynchronously, a scheduled phone call, and video. Published service pricing lists a flat $65 for a new patient consult and $40 for a follow-up, with medication billed separately from the visit.
Intake forms have to be finished before the appointment time. The company states that incomplete forms may cause the appointment to be canceled at the provider’s discretion, and that standard cancellation and no-show terms then apply. Phone visits have their own mechanics worth knowing in advance: the clinician may call within a ten minute window on either side of the booked time, up to three attempts are made, and the outbound number routes back to a main line rather than to the provider.
Bloodwork is not required before starting, though A1C, thyroid, and cholesterol testing are suggested as a way to measure progress, with in-home lab draws sold separately. There is no published BMI cutoff, and every prescription is left to the reviewing clinician.
Where the prescription actually goes
This is the part of the model that differs most from the large subscription platforms. Patients pick the dispensing pharmacy from a designated partner list, limited by which pharmacies hold a license to ship into their state. Coverage is advertised across all 50 states and Washington DC, but the available pharmacies vary by state, and in some states a given partner is restricted to certain products.
Two routes exist. A custom compounded plan bundles the medication cost, shipping, and supplies into the plan price. A standard brand-name plan costs $25 per month and routes the prescription to a local pharmacy or a manufacturer’s direct channel, with the drug purchased separately at whatever that pharmacy charges.
The distinction is not cosmetic. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA-approved products, and the agency does not review compounded preparations for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are sold. Some compounded formulations also include added ingredients such as vitamin B12, glycine, or niacinamide, so the contents of the vial can differ from an approved product like Zepbound, whose composition is fixed by its label.
| Step | What happens | Who controls it |
|---|---|---|
| Intake forms | Completed before the booked time | Patient |
| Clinical review | Electronic, phone, or video evaluation | Prescribing clinician |
| Pharmacy choice | Selected from partners licensed in the state | Patient, within state limits |
| Dispensing and shipping | Order processed and mailed | Dispensing pharmacy and carrier |
| Refills | Requested between required visits | Patient and prescriber |
| Delivery problems | Reported within 24 hours | Pharmacy, with the platform assisting |
How refills work between visits
Refills do not each require a new appointment. The published cadence is a required follow-up every six months on an active treatment plan and every twelve months on maintenance dosing. On the brand-name route the rule is slightly different: a patient new to the medication needs a follow-up at the second refill, and every six months after that.
Transferring in from another provider does not automatically reset the dose. The company says an existing dose can be continued when the clinician agrees, but documentation of the prior prescription is required to order anything above a starting dose.
Supply length is where a lot of confusion starts. Tier plans ship a two to two and a half month supply, and the extended plans ship three to four months, with total milligrams varying by the vial sizes and concentrations each pharmacy stocks. Any monthly figure is therefore a derived number rather than a billing cycle.
Timing matters more than most new patients expect. Partner pharmacies are described as needing two to seven business days to process and ship, delivery commonly lands four to ten business days after the order, and invoices paid outside business hours or near a holiday can add another day or two. Comparison write-ups published by other telehealth sellers, including FormBlends, cover the same program from a competitor’s vantage point, which is useful for the line items as long as the reader accounts for the source. Continuity is a clinical question as well as a logistical one, since the semaglutide withdrawal data and the tirzepatide maintenance data both show that stopping tends to reverse the result.
Support, and the parts the company does not control
Ongoing contact happens through portal messaging and a support email address. Nothing in the published materials describes a 24-hour clinical phone line, which is a real limitation for anyone who reacts badly to a dose escalation on a weekend.
Shipping sits outside the platform entirely. The stated policy is that timelines, carriers, and methods are set by the dispensing pharmacy, that the company cannot expedite without the pharmacy’s agreement, and that it is not responsible for delays once an order is released.
One rule deserves more attention than it usually gets. Any problem with a delivered order, including damaged packaging, a missing or incorrect medication, temperature concerns, or a leaking vial, must be reported to the dispensing pharmacy and to the company within 24 hours of delivery. Miss that window and the published position is that no resolution, replacement, or credit is available. Packages the carrier has marked delivered are treated as delivered. Since approved GLP-1 labels specify refrigerated storage, a parcel left on a doorstep in July is exactly the scenario that clock is built around.
Who the model suits
It fits people who want to choose their own pharmacy, who dislike recurring subscriptions, who want the option of routing a brand-name prescription instead of a compounded one, and who intend to stay on maintenance dosing for years rather than months.
Anyone weighing that structure usually ends up lining it up against the subscription names in the same market. Ro, Hims and Hers, and Henry Meds fold the visit and the drug into a recurring charge, while providers such as HealthRX list their GLP-1 medications pricing openly and LillyDirect sells the approved product straight from the manufacturer. Reading three or four of these next to each other is the quickest way to see where the per-visit math actually lands.
It fits poorly for anyone who wants insurance handled. The company does not file claims and does not complete prior authorizations, though HSA and FSA cards are accepted. It also fits poorly for anyone who wants dietitian sessions or structured behavioral programming bundled in, since current obesity pharmacotherapy guidance treats medication as one component of longer-term care rather than the whole of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a video visit required?
No. Electronic, phone, and video consults are all offered, and the choice affects more than convenience. Asynchronous electronic consults are treated as non-refundable once submitted, while scheduled phone appointments fall under the scheduling policy and can be canceled ahead of time.
Can a patient keep their current dose when switching providers?
Usually, if the reviewing clinician agrees it is appropriate. Documentation of the earlier prescription is required before anything above a starting dose can be ordered, so a transferring patient should have prior records ready before the first appointment rather than after it.
How quickly do refills arrive?
Partner pharmacies are described as taking two to seven business days to process and ship an order, with delivery typically four to ten business days from the order date. Payments submitted outside business hours, on weekends, or near holidays can add one to two days.
Who fixes a damaged or wrong shipment?
The dispensing pharmacy owns the resolution, and the platform assists with the communication. Both have to be notified within 24 hours of delivery. After that window the published policy rules out replacements, refunds, credits, and pharmacy claims entirely.
Does the company handle insurance?
No claims are filed and no prior authorizations are completed. Patients pay directly and may submit for reimbursement themselves. An existing prior authorization obtained elsewhere may be usable at the insurer’s discretion, which is worth confirming before the first appointment.
