Our Method
How We Rank GLP-1 Providers
The complete, published methodology behind every score on this site — the formula, the data sources, the safeguards, and what can never buy a better ranking.
Last updated July 9, 2026
How the score works
Three inputs become one overall score.
Customer Reviews
Verified Rate GLP-1 reviews are the core signal, and they take over as they grow.
Provider Transparency
Six publicly checkable facts — clinicians, pharmacy, pricing clarity, and more.
Public Reputation
Ratings from public review platforms support the score until enough site reviews exist.
Result
Overall Score
The number shown on provider cards and profiles.
The blended model
How the pieces come together
Rate GLP-1 uses a blended scoring model. The mix shifts automatically as a provider collects verified customer reviews:
- Public reputation leads when a provider has few or no Rate GLP-1 reviews.
- Rate GLP-1 customer reviews become the main driver as review volume grows.
- Transparency facts can add up to half a point — and never subtract for missing information.
- Sponsored or affiliated providers are always labeled and never receive a ranking boost.
Full disclosure
The exact formula — nothing hidden
Most review sites keep their math secret. We publish ours, because a ranking you can check is worth more than one you have to trust blindly. Here is precisely how an Overall Score is computed:
- Review score (0–9.5). We take the average star rating of a provider's verified Rate GLP-1 reviews, with two adjustments. Recency: reviews from the last 6 months count at full weight; older reviews count at 70%, because a provider's recent service matters more than its history. Bayesian smoothing: before averaging, we add a neutral statistical prior equivalent to five reviews of 3.5 stars. This is the same technique IMDb and large review platforms use — it means one or two glowing (or furious) reviews can't swing a score, and high scores must be earned by review volume. The smoothed star average is scaled to a 9.5-point ceiling.
stars = (5 × 3.5 + Σ rating × w) ÷ (5 + Σ w) where w = 1 if ≤ 180 days, else 0.7review score = (stars ÷ 5) × 9.5 - Transparency bonus (0 to +0.5). Six publicly checkable facts, equally weighted: US-licensed clinicians, US-based pharmacy, pricing shown before signup, brand-name GLP-1s offered, compounded GLP-1s offered, and accredited compounding pharmacy. Each confirmed fact adds one-sixth of the bonus. Transparency can only add — a provider is never penalized for information we couldn't verify.
bonus = (confirmed facts ÷ 6) × 0.5 - Public Reputation Score (0–10). Compiled from the provider's ratings on public review platforms (Trustpilot, Google, and similar), weighted by each source's review count and mapped to /10. Providers with no public presence are marked Not Yet Rated — never scored 0.
- The blend. The displayed Overall Score is a weighted mix of the review score (steps 1–2) and the public reputation score (step 3). The weight shifts with review volume. At 0 site reviews the score is 100% public reputation; at 10 reviews it's a 50/50 blend; at 40 reviews it's 80% driven by Rate GLP-1 reviews. The transition is automatic — no editorial thumb on the scale.
w = reviews ÷ (reviews + 10)Overall Score = w × (review score + bonus) + (1 − w) × public scoreRounded to one decimal and capped at 10. With no public reputation data, the review side stands alone; with no data at all, the provider is “Not Yet Rated”.
- Ranking. Providers are ranked by the same Overall Score shown on their cards — never by a different internal number. Ties break by review count, then public reputation, then alphabetically.
Worked examples
Real numbers through the real formula (assuming an 8.5 public reputation score and 4 of 6 transparency facts confirmed):
| Provider state | Review score | Blend | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| New listing, no data at all | — | — | Not Yet Rated |
| 0 site reviews, public reputation 8.5 | — | 100% public | 8.5 |
| 10 recent 5★ reviews | 8.9 | 50% / 50% | 8.7 |
| 40 recent 5★ reviews | 9.5 | 80% reviews | 9.3 |
Note how even 40 perfect reviews don't produce a 10.0 — the smoothing makes top scores hard to reach and hard to fake.
Customer reviews come first
Verified customer reviews are the strongest ranking signal. Every review is manually moderated before it publishes, and recent feedback is weighted more heavily than old feedback.
Verified and moderated
Reviews are tied to a real email address and human-approved before publication. We never edit a review because of its rating.
Recent counts more
Reviews from the last 6 months carry full weight; older ones are discounted to 70%. Providers can't coast on old glory.
Balanced early scores
Bayesian smoothing means a tiny number of reviews cannot launch a provider to the top — or bury one at the bottom.
Transparency supports the score
Six publicly checkable facts add up to half a point. They reward providers who operate in the open, but they can never overpower customer experience — and missing information never subtracts.
- Care from US-licensed clinicians (MD/DO/NP/PA)
- Medication from a US-based pharmacy
- Pricing shown up front, before signup
- Brand-name GLP-1s offered (Wegovy, Zepbound…)
- Compounded GLP-1s offered
- An accredited compounding pharmacy (PCAB/NABP)
A note on sourcing
Transparency facts reflect only what each provider publicly states on its own website and materials — we can't see inside a company's operations, and we don't independently verify these claims. That's exactly why they're capped at half a point, why they can only ever add, and why missing information never counts against a provider. Always confirm details that matter to you directly with the provider.
Public signals carry the launch phase
We launched with zero fake reviews — which means public reputation data does the early work, then hands off automatically:
- 0–4 site reviews: mostly public signals
- 5–24 site reviews: a blend of both
- 25+ site reviews: Rate GLP-1 reviews dominate
Every score badge shows which stage it's in, so you always know what a number is made of.
Data stays fresh — with a human in the loop
An automated weekly check re-reads every provider's website and public review platforms for changed prices, medications, transparency facts, and ratings. Proposed changes go into a review queue — a human approves every single change before it goes live. Nothing on this site updates itself silently.
What never affects scores or rankings
- Sponsored placements. They are always labeled, and sponsorship never changes a score or rank.
- Affiliate relationships. Payment never raises a provider score or ranking position.
- Fake reviews. We do not publish fake or AI-written customer reviews.
- Missing data. A provider with no public review presence is “Not Yet Rated” — never scored 0.
Methodology FAQ
Can a provider pay for a better score or ranking?
No. There is no mechanism in our scoring code that takes payment, sponsorship, or affiliation into account. Sponsored placements are clearly labeled, and sponsored providers are scored and ranked by the exact same formula as everyone else — with zero boost. Our one affiliated provider (MyFastRx, operated by our owners) is disclosed wherever it appears and receives no ranking advantage.
What does “Not Yet Rated” mean?
It means we don't have enough data yet — no verified Rate GLP-1 reviews and no public reputation signals. Missing data is never treated as a bad score: a provider without a Trustpilot or Google profile is shown as Not Yet Rated, not 0/10.
Why can a provider with fewer reviews outrank one with more?
Because we rank by the overall score, not raw review count. A provider with a handful of recent 5-star reviews and strong public reputation can legitimately outrank one with many mediocre reviews. Bayesian smoothing prevents one or two reviews from launching anyone to the top — it takes sustained positive feedback to reach the highest scores.
How do you prevent fake or manipulated reviews?
Every review is manually moderated before publication and tied to a real email address. The math also resists manipulation: a neutral statistical prior means a burst of a few 5-star (or 1-star) reviews barely moves a score, and older reviews are discounted so a score can't coast on ancient history. We never edit reviews based on their rating, and we never publish fake or AI-written reviews.
How often are scores and provider details updated?
Approved customer reviews affect scores immediately. Provider details (pricing, medications, transparency facts) and public reputation signals are re-checked by an automated weekly crawl of provider websites and public review platforms — but no automated change ever publishes itself. A human reviews and approves every proposed update.
Where does the Public Reputation Score come from?
It is compiled from ratings that providers have earned on public review platforms such as Trustpilot and Google, weighted by how many reviews each source has, and mapped to our 0–10 scale. It exists so that a brand-new directory doesn't pretend to have review data it doesn't have — and it automatically fades in importance as real Rate GLP-1 reviews accumulate.
Ready to compare providers?
Use the rankings as a starting point, then read the profile details and recent reviews before choosing a provider.
Have feedback on our method? Tell us. We refine the method openly and note meaningful changes here.