The rise of telemedicine has transformed how patients access care and has dramatically expanded the opportunities for 503B outsourcing facilities.
Telehealth has become a standard way for patients to receive care and for providers in rural or underserved areas to access specialty consultations that enhance treatment within their local communities. Today, 54 percent of Americans have had a telehealth visit, with one in six having had four or more. Evidence shows telehealth is both safe and effective, with consistently high satisfaction reported by patients and clinicians alike. Among those who have used telehealth, 89 percent say they were satisfied with their most recent visit, demonstrating the benefit of the technology.
The combination of COVID-19 and technological advancements accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, creating a new market for medications previously limited to critical medical necessity. Initially, 503B outsourcing facilities were primarily used to fill gaps in medication supply for clinics, especially for essential medications like GLP-1 drugs for diabetes.
By bringing hard-to-find medications to the market, prescribers and dispensers noticed 503B’s ability to deliver large batches of other patient-focused therapies, including hormone replacement and preventative-health medications. Many telemedicine providers have since diversified their offerings, and 503B outsourcing facilities, like ProRx, leveraged their experience to help these companies expand their product portfolios.
Why Telemedicine Companies Choose to Partner with 503B Outsourcing Facilities
Telemedicine groups operate at a different scale than traditional physician clinics, spas, and wellness centers. Instead of serving hundreds of patients, they often treat tens of thousands and write up to 100,000 prescriptions a month. That means they need compounding partners who can keep up with high prescription volumes while maintaining quality.
Here’s what leading telemedicine companies look for when they choose a 503B partner:
- Longer Beyond-Use Dating (BUDs)
Unlike traditional 503A pharmacies (with BUDs limited to 30–90 days), 503B facilities can provide products with extended beyond-use dating—often up to 12 months.
- This makes quarterly care programs possible.
- Patients can receive longer supplies, creating a better experience and supporting program-based care models.
- Superior Product Quality and Safety
503B pharmacies are held to stricter FDA oversight, testing, and quality-control standards compared to 503A facilities. For telemedicine companies backed by venture capital and operating under heavy scrutiny, avoiding recalls or product quality issues is critical.
- 503B status minimizes risk.
- Providers gain confidence knowing they are prescribing rigorously tested products.
- The Ability to Scale with Demand
Telemedicine companies often require large batch sizes to support rapid growth. While 503A pharmacies may be limited to small production runs, 503B facilities can compound thousands of units per batch—enough to support even the largest national telemedicine providers.
- Seamless Fulfillment Model
Telemedicine companies typically operate as marketing and patient-engagement platforms. Behind the scenes:
- Licensed physician networks conduct virtual consultations.
- Prescriptions flow through fulfillment pharmacies.
- Those fulfillment centers stock and dispense 503B products, ensuring patients across the country receive their medications reliably and on time—typically within 48 hours. While patients do not interact with 503B facilities, the quality, consistency, and timely delivery of medications directly impact their overall telemedicine experience.
This hybrid model leverages the strengths of both 503A and 503B pharmacies, with the 503B at the center as the scalable compounding partner.
Meeting the Needs of Preventative and Wellness Care
The success of GLP-1s via telemedicine confirmed a growing trend: patients increasingly seek wellness- and preventative-focused therapies through virtual care. Some of the fastest-growing telemedicine companies focus on preventative and anti-aging medicine—helping patients stay healthier, longer, by providing compounded medications in key areas such as:
- NAD+
- Sermorelin
- B12 and MIC formulations
- Glutathione
- Testosterone
- Other wellness-focused injectables and therapies
These therapies may be central to programs designed to optimize health, balance hormones, and prevent chronic conditions rather than waiting until patients face major health challenges later in life.
The 503B Advantage
Telemedicine has transformed how patients access care. From men’s health to preventative medicine and wellness programs, virtual clinics are reaching tens of thousands of patients every month. As telemedicine continues its rapid expansion, partnering with reliable, high-quality 503B facilities is essential. ProRx combines experience, scale, and a full product lineup to help virtual-care providers meet growing patient needs nationwide.
