Starting something new with your health can feel uncertain. You don't know what to expect. You don't know what they'll ask. You don't know if you'll qualify. So here's the whole process, laid out plainly, so you can walk in (or log in) knowing exactly what's coming.
Step 1: The Health Assessment (5 Minutes)
Everything starts with a health assessment. At Meridian, this is an online questionnaire — no phone call, no appointment, no waiting room. You complete it from your couch.
Here's what you'll be asked:
- Basic health info: Age, weight, height, sex. The starting point for any medical evaluation.
- Your health goals: What brought you here? Weight loss? Recovery from injury? Better sleep and energy? Anti-aging? Sexual wellness? Be specific — it helps your physician recommend the right approach.
- Medical history: Current conditions, past surgeries, allergies. Anything relevant to how your body would handle peptide therapy.
- Current medications: Everything you take — prescriptions, supplements, over-the-counter. Drug interactions matter, and your physician needs the full picture.
- Previous treatments: What you've tried before. What worked. What didn't. This prevents your physician from recommending something you've already failed on.
- Family history: Certain conditions in your family — like medullary thyroid carcinoma — affect which peptides are safe for you.
Be honest. Be thorough. The more your physician knows, the better they can help you. Nobody's judging your answers. They're building a medical picture.
Step 2: Physician Review (Within 24 Hours)
A licensed physician reviews your assessment. Not an algorithm. Not a chatbot. A real doctor who looks at your health history, your goals, your medications, and determines whether peptide therapy is appropriate for you.
Here's what your physician is evaluating:
- Are you a candidate? Not everyone is. Certain medical conditions, medications, or health situations make peptide therapy inappropriate. Your physician will identify any contraindications.
- Which peptide matches your goals? Weight management points toward GLP-1 agonists. Recovery needs might suggest BPC-157 or TB-500. Hormone support leads to sermorelin. Your physician selects based on evidence and your specific situation.
- What dosing protocol makes sense? Peptides aren't one-size-fits-all. Your dose depends on your weight, health status, treatment goals, and how your body typically responds to medication.
- Do you need lab work first? Some treatments require baseline labs before starting. Others can begin immediately with labs ordered concurrently.
Step 3: Lab Work (If Needed)
Not every peptide protocol requires labs upfront. But many do, and responsible prescribing means having baseline data.
What labs you'll need depends on the treatment:
- GLP-1 weight management: Basic metabolic panel, A1C, thyroid function. Your physician needs to know your baseline metabolic health and rule out thyroid issues.
- Sermorelin / growth hormone peptides: IGF-1 levels, metabolic panel, hormone panel. These establish whether your growth hormone production is actually low.
- General peptide therapy: CBC, CMP, and any condition-specific markers your physician identifies.
If you've had blood work done in the past 3–6 months through your primary care doctor, that often works. Share the results and your physician will determine if they're sufficient or if additional testing is needed.
Lab costs: $100–300 depending on what's needed. Some providers include basic labs. Others give you a requisition for a local lab like Quest or Labcorp. Either way, factor it into your cost planning.
Step 4: Your Protocol Is Built
Once your physician has everything they need — your health assessment, any necessary lab work — they build your personalized protocol. This includes:
- Which peptide(s) you'll take
- The dosage and frequency
- How to administer it (most are subcutaneous injections — a small needle in the belly fat, similar to what diabetics use for insulin)
- Expected timeline — when you should start noticing effects and when to follow up
- What to watch for — normal initial side effects vs signs that something needs attention
Your physician will explain all of this clearly. If you have questions — about the injection process, about side effects, about alternatives — this is the time to ask. Good physicians welcome questions. They'd rather you understand your treatment than just nod along.
Step 5: Your Medication Ships (2–4 Days)
Your prescription goes to a licensed US pharmacy. They compound it according to USP standards in a certified clean room. It gets tested for purity, potency, and sterility. Then it ships directly to your door.
What arrives:
- Your medication (typically a vial or pre-filled syringe)
- Injection supplies (syringes, alcohol swabs) if applicable
- Clear instructions on storage, reconstitution (if needed), and administration
Most peptides need refrigeration. Your package will come with appropriate cold packaging to keep it stable during transit.
Step 6: Starting Treatment
Your first injection can feel intimidating if you've never self-injected before. That's normal. Here's what most patients report:
- The needle is small — much smaller than what you see at a blood draw. 30- or 31-gauge, about half an inch long.
- Most people feel a tiny pinch or nothing at all.
- It takes about 30 seconds once you get the hang of it.
- After the second or third time, it feels routine.
Your care team is available by message if you need guidance. Video instructions are provided. And if you really can't handle needles, ask your physician about oral or nasal alternatives — some peptides have non-injectable formulations.
Step 7: What Happens After
You're not on your own once treatment starts. Here's the ongoing relationship:
- Check-ins: Your care team follows up regularly — typically at 2 weeks, then monthly. They'll ask how you're responding, any side effects, whether you're seeing changes.
- Dosage adjustments: Your starting dose is often conservative. Based on how you respond, your physician may increase, decrease, or modify your protocol. This is normal medicine — the first prescription isn't always the final one.
- Lab monitoring: Follow-up labs may be ordered at 6–12 weeks to track changes and ensure safety.
- Messaging access: Have a question at 9 PM on a Tuesday? Send a message. Your care team responds, usually within hours during business days.
The Full Timeline
From start to medication in hand: about a week. Sometimes faster. If labs are needed first, add a few days for lab processing.
What If You're Not a Candidate?
It happens. And it's okay. Common reasons a physician might not prescribe peptide therapy:
- A medical condition that makes certain peptides unsafe (like personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer for GLP-1s)
- Medications that could interact with the peptide
- Pregnancy or plans to become pregnant
- A condition that's better addressed by a different treatment entirely
If you're not approved, you won't be charged for medication. Your physician may suggest alternatives or recommend following up with your primary care doctor. Nobody's going to prescribe something that isn't right for you just to make a sale. That's the whole point of physician oversight.