Virtual Care and Coverage Navigation
Through Walgreens Weight Management, patients can connect online with a physician or nurse practitioner and, if eligible, receive a prescription for an FDA-approved GLP-1 for weight loss. Visits cost $49 with no subscription required, and medication cost is not included. Patients already taking a GLP-1 for weight loss can also use the virtual clinicians to support ongoing treatment. The service can now check commercial prescription coverage and complete PAs when needed.1
Patients eligible for the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge can use the virtual providers for help with eligibility, prior authorizations (PAs), and setting up a treatment plan. Virtual weight management is available in every state except Alabama. For Bridge patients, it is also unavailable in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Services are not offered in Puerto Rico.1
The Bridge, a CMS demonstration running from July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, operates outside the standard Part D benefit and carries a $50 monthly copay. It covers semaglutide (Wegovy) injection and tablets, the tirzepatide (Zepbound) KwikPen, and orforglipron (Foundayo; Eli Lilly and Company) tablets.
Patients with type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea, and several other conditions are excluded and remain on their regular Part D pathway. Because the first Bridge claim is expected to reject and trigger the PA request, pharmacy staff should explain that step so patients do not assume their medication is not covered.3
Pharmacist Follow-Up After Pickup
After pickup, Walgreens pharmacists will contact patients who start filling a GLP-1 to answer common questions, share educational resources, and connect them with additional support. A new online hub lists treatment options and costs, manufacturer savings card information through Rx Savings Finder, and products to relieve nausea, dehydration, and other GI adverse effects.1
Gates
For pharmacists, the cohort findings suggest where early conversations may matter most: setting expectations about weight loss and managing GI adverse effects before they lead patients to stop. Pharmacists enrolling patients through the Bridge should also prepare them now for the program’s December 2027 end date, because Congress has not changed the statutory exclusion of obesity drugs from Part D.2,3
