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September 26, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Telehealth

GLP-1s Are a $70B Market. Patients Still Turn to TikTok

By Healthcare Technology News ·

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have become a $70 billion market, yet many patients are getting their day-to-day guidance from TikTok influencers rather than clinicians, according to MedCity News. The reason is structural: the healthcare system does a good job writing the prescription and a poor job supporting what comes next.

In practice, patients are left to figure out dosing schedules, manage nausea and other side effects, navigate nutrition and muscle loss, and decide what to do when symptoms hit. With little clinical follow-up, social media fills the void, and the advice ranges from helpful to dangerous. That gap carries real risk, including poor adherence, avoidable side effects, and patients abandoning therapy.

The opportunity is equally clear. Digital health companies, pharmacies, and providers that build structured, ongoing support around GLP-1 prescriptions can improve outcomes and capture loyalty in a fast-growing category. As MedCity News notes, closing the space between prescription and understanding is where the next phase of competition will play out.

Sources

More in Telehealth

Telehealth

Ayble Health Raises $16M for Virtual Digestive Care

Ayble Health raised $16 million in a Series A led by Neon to expand its virtual digestive health clinic.

Why it matters: Condition-specific digital clinics for underserved chronic diseases like GI disorders are drawing fresh capital as investors bet on measurable outcomes and lower costs.

Telehealth

Tele-Nephrology Targets Kidney Care Gaps for Rural Patients

Tele-nephrology is expanding access to kidney specialists for the 37 million U.S. adults with chronic kidney disease, particularly in rural areas where nephrologists are scarce.

Why it matters: Earlier, more consistent specialty care for a high-prevalence, costly condition can slow disease progression and cut expensive downstream treatment.

Telehealth

KFF Journalists Unpack Telehealth, ACA, and Covid Injury Fights

KFF Health News journalists broke down telehealth's uncertain federal future, ACA enrollment, and HHS's Covid injury list across a round of media appearances.

Why it matters: Telehealth reimbursement and access still depend on short-term federal extensions, leaving virtual-care operators unable to plan long term.