Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
TeleZen MD vs 1st Optimal
Two GLP-1 programs on the bench, scored on the same six factors. Here's how their real cost of ownership compares — and which one we'd start with.
TeleZen MD
Shoppers who want named, checkable prescribers before pricing is disclosed and don't mind starting an intake to see a number.
Visit TeleZen MD1st Optimal
Patients who want a named founding physician and a broader functional-medicine/hormone workup alongside GLP-1s.
Visit 1st OptimalThe verdict
TeleZen MD takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 42 to 41. TeleZen MD, LLC (a Florida LLC) is a 100% online, LegitScript-certified compounded GLP-1 telehealth platform with four named prescribers, claiming all-50-state coverage. 1st Optimal still earns a C — Patients who want a named founding physician and a broader functional-medicine/hormone workup alongside GLP-1s.
Worth knowing either way: our overall #1 pick is CoreAge Rx (Cost-Efficiency Index 94/100 — the top of the ranking). See how it stacks up: CoreAge Rx vs TeleZen MD.
Factor by factor
Both providers scored on our six Cost-Efficiency Index factors. The stronger side on each row is marked in teal.
Normalized Cost/Month
Price Transparency
Nationwide Access
Formulation Options
Clinical Oversight
Contract Flexibility
Pricing, coverage & formulary
The disclosed facts behind the scores. Lower price wins its row (teal).
| Spec | TeleZen MD | 1st Optimal |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 42/100 | 41/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | — | — |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | — |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #516 | #518 |
TeleZen MD
42/100Where the value is
- Four named, checkable prescribers listed by name and credential (Dr. James Teet DO, Dr. Ozita Cooper MD, Dr. Michael Wasef MD, Dr. Andrew Sakla DO) — better prescriber transparency than most peers in this batch
- Confirmed legal entity via Terms of Use: Telezen MD, LLC, a Florida limited liability company
- LegitScript certified per the FAQ
The tradeoffs
- No price for semaglutide or tirzepatide is published anywhere on the public site — every pricing page checked (/pricing, /treatments, /weight-loss, /how-it-works, /get-started) either 404'd or showed no dollar figure
- The 'all 50 states' claim is the company's own FAQ statement; the only state-specific text found anywhere on the site (in the Terms of Use) names just four states (FL, CA, TX, KS), so the 50-state claim is not independently confirmed by a published list
1st Optimal
41/100Where the value is
- Named founder and clinical lead: Dr. Amber Miller, a functional medicine physician
- LegitScript verification badge displayed
- No credit card required to start the intake quiz
The tradeoffs
- No GLP-1 pricing published anywhere on the public site
- No compounding pharmacy partner named
Assume any provider we list may compensate us — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes the Cost-Efficiency Index. Pricing, states and verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last review; prices change — confirm on the provider's site. Not medical advice. See our disclosure.