After a licensed provider reviews your online consultation and decides treatment is appropriate, a licensed pharmacy prepares your personalized compounded formula and ships it to you in discreet packaging. From there, care continues: your provider will tell you how and when progress is reviewed, and you can reach the Prescribed Essence team with questions at any point. This guide walks through each step so you know what happens next.
Step 1: Your provider's decision
Every Prescribed Essence consultation starts with an online intake and photos uploaded from home. A dermatologist reviews your case, including your health history, current medications and photos. If you are new to the process, our guide to how a telehealth consultation works covers the intake in detail.
There are two possible outcomes of that review:
- Treatment is prescribed. The provider writes a prescription that reflects your history and goals, and it is sent to the pharmacy.
- Treatment is not appropriate right now. Some patterns of hair loss need an in-person exam, lab work or a different kind of care. If that is the case, the provider will explain why and point you toward the next step. No prescription is sent.
A licensed provider decides whether treatment is appropriate. That decision is made case by case, not by an algorithm or a sales team.
Step 2: A licensed pharmacy prepares your formula
Once a prescription is written, a licensed pharmacy prepares a compounded formula for you. Compounding means the pharmacy prepares a medication for an individual patient based on a prescription, rather than dispensing a mass-produced product. At Prescribed Essence, formulas are individually customized for each patient. Our article on how compounded hair loss treatment works explains the process and how it differs from off-the-shelf products.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. That means the FDA does not review a compounded formula for safety, effectiveness or quality before it is dispensed. Compounding pharmacies are licensed and inspected by state boards of pharmacy, and they must follow federal and state compounding rules.
Prescribed Essence prescriptions are dispensed by TPCrx Inc., a licensed pharmacy that shares common ownership with Prescribed Essence. You can read more about the pharmacy and that relationship on our pharmacy page.
Step 3: Shipping and what arrives
Your order ships directly to you. It arrives in discreet packaging: a black mailer box with a small PE sticker, with the bottles packed in black paper fill. Each bottle carries a white label that reads "Individually Curated Formula" and "Exclusively For You," along with your prescription label from the pharmacy.
When your package arrives:
- Check that the name on the prescription label is yours.
- Read the pharmacy label and any printed information that comes with your order.
- Follow the directions on your prescription label and any instructions from your provider or pharmacist.
- If anything looks wrong, such as a damaged bottle or a label you do not recognize, contact us before using the product.
Keep all medications out of reach of children and pets, and store them as the pharmacy label directs.
Step 4: Follow-up with your provider
Hair loss treatment is usually long term, so care is an ongoing conversation rather than a single order. Your provider will tell you how and when progress is reviewed. Follow-up may include an updated questionnaire, new photos, or questions about how the treatment is going and whether you have noticed any side effects.
Good follow-up depends on honest information. When your provider checks in, it helps to share:
- Any side effects, even ones that seem minor
- New medications, supplements or health conditions since your last review
- Changes such as pregnancy, plans to become pregnant, or upcoming surgery
- Any missed doses or trouble following the directions
- Questions or concerns about the formula
Our article on why hair loss treatment is long term explains why ongoing care matters, and what to do if progress seems to stall covers questions worth raising with your provider.
Step 5: Ongoing care and refills
Because treatment is usually ongoing, refills are part of the process. Your provider decides whether to continue, adjust or stop a prescription based on your follow-up. Any change to your formula is a new decision made by your provider, not an automatic update.
For details on how recurring orders, changes and cancellations are handled, see our subscription policy and cancellation policy.
When to contact someone right away
Do not wait for a scheduled follow-up if something feels wrong. Contact your provider promptly if you notice:
- Skin irritation, redness, burning or a rash that does not settle
- Dizziness, chest pain, a racing heartbeat, sudden swelling or unexplained weight gain
- Mood changes or any symptom that worries you
- Signs of an allergic reaction
For severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or chest pain, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For questions that are not urgent, reach us through our contact page.
Common questions after you're prescribed
Can I change my formula?
Only your provider can change a prescription. If you have concerns about side effects, how the treatment fits your routine, or anything else, raise them at follow-up or contact us sooner.
What if I want to stop treatment?
Talk with your provider before you stop, so you understand what to expect and can make the decision together. You can also review our cancellation policy for how orders are handled.
Is my information private?
Your intake answers and photos are part of your medical record and are used for your care. You can read more in our privacy materials, including your privacy choices.
Where is Prescribed Essence available?
Prescribed Essence is based in Los Angeles and currently serves patients in California, Colorado, Florida and New York. You can review our provider licensure information at any time.
The short version
After you're prescribed, a licensed pharmacy prepares your individually customized formula, it ships to you in discreet packaging, and your provider stays involved through follow-up. You are never on your own with a prescription: questions, side effects and changes all go back to a licensed provider.
Ready to begin? Start your online consultation.
Prescription required. A licensed provider decides whether treatment is appropriate. Compounded medications are prepared by a licensed pharmacy for an individual patient and are not FDA-approved. Individual results vary. Prescribed Essence currently serves patients in California, Colorado, Florida and New York.
