A doctor answers
Why your online doctor shouldn't be selling you the medicine
Compare subscription telehealth like Hims & Hers and BlueChew with a $40 FutureClinic doctor visit. See how prescription plans work, what generic drugs cost at your pharmacy, and why our doctors sell no medicine.
The short answer
Telehealth brands like Hims & Hers and BlueChew earn money through recurring monthly medicine plans and compounded formulas, whereas FutureClinic doctors sell no medicine and earn nothing extra for any prescription or test. If you want a company's specific compounded product or medicines bundled into a monthly plan, those subscription services are a strong option. If you want a physician (MD, DO or MBBS) whose only incentive is to help you, FutureClinic doctors send prescriptions, including multi-month refills for stable medicines when safe, to the pharmacy you choose with no subscription required.
Key facts
- As of October 2026, Hims & Hers requires a membership for prescriptions ($39 for the first month and $149 a month after for weight loss, plus medicine starting at $149 a month) and BlueChew plans start at $20 a month, while a FutureClinic visit is $40 for the best-fit doctor, or a chosen doctor's listed price, typically $20 to $100, with no subscription required.
- At FutureClinic, your doctor's only incentive is to help you: licensed physicians (MD, DO or MBBS) sell no medicine, earn nothing extra for any prescription or lab test, and can prescribe whichever brand or generic fits you to the pharmacy you choose, including mail-order pharmacies that deliver to your door.
- You can message the same doctor time after time to build trust, try treatments together, and track progress, and for a stable daily medication your doctor can write a multi-month prescription when safe to pair with your insurance or generic cash prices (such as $10.20 for 30 tablets of finasteride 1 mg at Sam's Club on GoodRx for Brooklyn zip code 11201, as of October 25, 2026).
Online prescription platforms often pair digital medical care with recurring drug sales, offering proprietary compounded formulas or medications bundled into a monthly plan. FutureClinic separates your medical evaluation from the pharmacy counter, giving you convenient digital care from an expert doctor with nothing attached.
At FutureClinic, a specific doctor reads your whole case and answers you personally, including a Human Signature: a short video or voice note your doctor records live for you with your plan. No form is approved in bulk. FutureClinic sells no medicine, and your doctor earns nothing extra for any prescription or test. Their only incentive is to help you: you never have to stay subscribed to keep your medicine, and they can prescribe whichever medicine fits you, brand or generic, to the pharmacy you choose, with no house formulary. After your first visit, the same doctor can help with other problems in their specialty, and every FutureClinic doctor you see works from one medical record.
How does the medicine-subscription model get paid?
On platforms such as Hims & Hers and BlueChew, revenue comes from recurring medicine shipments or memberships. According to the Hims help center as of October 2026, a subscription is required for prescriptions, and its weight loss announcement states that medication is not sold without a membership. Similarly, BlueChew sells monthly plans starting at $20 a month as of October 2026. Care follows product menus: BlueChew treats erectile dysfunction only, while Hims & Hers covers hair loss, skin care, sexual health, mental health, testosterone, and weight loss. Across the six Hims provider credential lists (updated July 23, 2026), we counted about 1,459 clinicians from an independent provider group, including roughly 757 nurse practitioners, 538 MDs, and 165 DOs. On BlueChew's disclosure list as of October 2026, we counted 47 certified nurse practitioners and 7 MDs.
FutureClinic has over 300 doctors across the country. They practice across more than 60 specialties, including generalists and specialists alike. FutureClinic staffs physicians only (MD, DO or MBBS), never a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.
Did you want a monthly medication plan and its membership rules, or did you want a doctor of your own?
What does working with the same doctor over months change?
Messaging the same doctor time after time, however long in between, lets you build trust, try treatments together, and track progress. In dermatology, you and the same doctor can start a retinoid or hair loss medicine, swap a cream that irritates your skin a month later, adjust a dose, or treat a flare of acne or eczema in the same chat. In internal or family medicine, your physician can read this month's lab result against last year's numbers, order discounted lab tests, and decide together when to step up or step down your dose. Because every FutureClinic doctor you see works from your one medical record, your care across specialties stays in one place.
What does bundling the medicine cost over a year?
A low monthly price assumes you stay subscribed to keep getting the medicine. On BlueChew as of October 2026, plans start at $20 a month ($240 a year), with tablets from $3.53 for sildenafil and $2.00 for daily tadalafil. On FutureClinic, there is no subscription required: a visit is $40 for the best-fit doctor, or a chosen doctor's listed price, typically $20 to $100. For a stable medicine, your doctor can prescribe several months at once when they judge it safe, such as a six-month script if your doctor decides it's right for you, sent to the pharmacy you choose, including mail-order pharmacies that deliver to your door.
On GoodRx as of October 25, 2026 (Brooklyn zip 11201), 30 tablets of 1 mg finasteride cost $10.20 at Sam's Club, $16.99 at Costco, and $29.45 at CVS. On GoodRx as of October 25, 2026 (zip 11201), 30 tablets of 20 mg sildenafil cost $10.53 at Sam's Club, $16.99 at Costco, and $29.78 at CVS, and insurance may cover generics at your pharmacy. For weight loss, Hims & Hers charges $39 for the first month and $149 a month after ($1,678 in first-year fees), billed separately from brand cash medicine starting at $149 a month as of October 2026. Any licensed physician can prescribe directly to a maker's self-pay program without a telehealth membership: as of October 2026, NovoCare prices the 1.5 mg Wegovy pill at $149 a month, and LillyDirect prices the 2.5 mg Zepbound vial or KwikPen at $299 a month. When insurance requires a prior authorization, FutureClinic helps get it.
How do FutureClinic, Hims & Hers, and BlueChew compare?
| Feature | FutureClinic | Hims & Hers | BlueChew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who treats you | Physicians only (MD, DO or MBBS) | Independent provider group (NPs, MDs, DOs) | Affiliated providers (mostly CNPs and MDs) |
| What you pay (as of October 2026) | $40 for best-fit doctor, or chosen doctor's price, typically $20 to $100; optional membership typically $25 to $100 a month | Weight loss fee $39 month 1 then $149/month plus medicine from $149/month; hair and skin not stated | Subscription from $20/month (tablets from $2; GOLD from $7.30) |
| Subscription required? | No subscription required | Yes, required for prescriptions | Yes, monthly subscription |
| Where the medicine comes from | The pharmacy you choose (local or mail-order delivery) | Partner and compounding pharmacies (XeCare, Apostrophe) or LillyDirect | Compounded by partner US pharmacies |
| What else the doctor can help with | Other problems in their specialty; every FutureClinic doctor you see works from one medical record | Condition-specific menus | Erectile dysfunction only |
| How you reach them | Message on futureclinic.com or from your AI app | App or web messaging (video where required); AI app not stated | Profile review (video where required); AI app not stated |
| What you get back | Plan with Human Signature; replies typically within a few hours | Prescription shipment and care messaging; reply time not stated | Review usually within 24 hours and shipment |
Who does each service suit best?
Hims & Hers or BlueChew is a strong option if you want that company's specific compounded product, such as Hims's compounded combination hair loss tablet or BlueChew's GOLD tablet, or if you want specific medicines bundled into a monthly plan. Hims also suits patients outside FutureClinic's states or those seeking a controlled medicine like testosterone replacement therapy via live video (FutureClinic doctors do not prescribe controlled medicines such as stimulants, benzodiazepines, opioids, testosterone, or phentermine). If all you wanted was an expert doctor with nothing attached, FutureClinic gives you one-to-one care where your doctor earns nothing extra from selling products. For ongoing continuity with the same doctor, most FutureClinic doctors offer an optional membership: unlimited care with that doctor, cancel any time, typically $25 to $100 a month, and your initial visit fee counts toward the membership.
How does AI fit into care when your doctor sells no medicine?
In September 2026, Hims & Hers rolled out AI-native care to weight loss members, where its AI clinical engine provides non-clinical direction or escalates to a provider, stating in its newsroom that the AI informs and the clinician decides. At FutureClinic, we believe AI is a tool for doctors, and the human doctor is in charge of every case. Health problems have nuance and need one-to-one attention from an expert who can tell when an AI is heading to the wrong answer. FutureClinic's AI works behind the scenes like a chief resident, gathering your history for your confirmation, and never gives medical advice by itself. Real care from a doctor takes hours, not seconds, so replies typically come within a few hours, and almost always the same day or the next.
FutureClinic operates in 33 states and Washington, D.C.: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Your doctor must be licensed in the state you're in, and because the list of states grows regularly, if you don't see your state here, try anyway. Start on futureclinic.com, or from the AI app you already use (ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex, Grok Bot, Meta Muse, and Instinct) at https://futureclinic.com/connect-your-ai or with Set up FutureClinic for me: read https://futureclinic.com/llms.txt. Once it's connected, make sure you instruct your AI to use FutureClinic to help find you a doctor. Otherwise, it may not know that this is what you want.
FutureClinic is not for emergencies: in an emergency call 911, or call or text 988 in a mental-health crisis.
Get care by message from a FutureClinic doctor. There are no appointments and no video calls. Start a visit instantly on the web or in the FutureClinic app. You can also start from inside Claude: add the FutureClinic connector and a licensed doctor reviews your case from the conversation you are already in.
Questions, answered.
- Do FutureClinic doctors make extra money when they prescribe medicine or order lab tests?
- No. FutureClinic does not sell medications or retail products, and your doctor earns nothing extra for any prescription or lab test they order. Your visit fee pays solely for the physician's medical evaluation and judgment.
- Can I still get my medicine delivered to my door if I use FutureClinic instead of a subscription brand?
- Yes. A FutureClinic prescription goes to the pharmacy you choose, which includes both local pickup pharmacies and mail-order pharmacies that deliver to your door.
- How many months of refills can a FutureClinic doctor write in one visit?
- For a stable daily medication, your FutureClinic physician can prescribe several months at once, such as a six-month prescription, whenever they judge it safe for your case. You do not need an ongoing subscription to keep your prescription active.
- Can I use my health insurance for prescriptions written by a FutureClinic doctor?
- Yes. While the FutureClinic visit itself is cash-pay ($40 for the best-fit doctor, or a chosen doctor's listed price, typically $20 to $100), you can use your insurance at the pharmacy counter for the medication, or use a cash discount coupon if that is cheaper. When insurance requires a prior authorization, FutureClinic helps get it.
Sources
- 1Do I need a subscription?Hims Support
- 2Wegovy Pill and Wegovy Pen Now Available with Hims & HersHims & Hers Newsroom
- 3Provider Credentials A-DHims Support
- 4BlueChew Sildenafil PlansBlueChew
- 5
- 6
- 7Zepbound Self-Pay Prices on LillyDirectEli Lilly and Company
- 8NovoCare Home Delivery and PricingNovo Nordisk
Related articles
The fastest way to a melasma plan: your AI, then a dermatologist
Compare online melasma treatments and costs: Tri-Luma, hydroquinone 4%, azelaic acid, and oral tranexamic acid a FutureClinic physician can prescribe ($40 visit, no subscription required) vs. Musely's Spot Cream.
How to treat psoriasis with AI and a real dermatologist
Compare online psoriasis treatments from creams and pills to biologics, cash prices as of October 2026, and how a $40 FutureClinic physician visit compares with Honeydew and an in-person dermatologist.
High cholesterol: a doctor's plan through your AI
Compare 2026 LDL goals, statins, and clinic waits with a $40 FutureClinic visit where a doctor reads your lipid panel, tracks labs, and prescribes to your pharmacy if it's right for you, with no subscription required.
Migraine treatment online: medicines that stop and prevent attacks, by message
Compare online migraine care across FutureClinic, Neura Health, and Cove, covering rescue triptans and gepants, preventive pills and CGRP shots, cash prices, and a $40 visit where a physician can prescribe by message.