The five criteria
Each service is scored from 0 to 5 on each criterion. The overall rating is the weighted average, and every review page shows the breakdown so you can see where the number came from.
| Criterion | Weight | What we assess |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical quality | 30% | Is a licensed clinician genuinely evaluating the patient? Does the intake ask about nitrates, cardiac symptoms, current medications and contraindications? Is there a route to ask a follow-up question, adjust a dose, or escalate to in-person care? |
| Transparency | 20% | Can you see the full price — including the renewal price, not just the introductory offer — before handing over personal data? Is it clear whether the product is an FDA-approved generic or a compounded preparation? Is cancellation described honestly? |
| Value | 20% | Total monthly cost measured against a benchmark: the same generic bought at a retail pharmacy with a free discount card. Convenience has value, but it should be visible as a premium rather than hidden. |
| Experience | 15% | Signup friction, clarity of instructions on timing and food, packaging discretion, how easy it is to change dose, and — weighted heavily — how easy it is to cancel. |
| Privacy | 15% | What health data is collected, how long it is kept, whether it is shared with advertising platforms, and whether the privacy policy is comprehensible. Regulatory action against a service for health-data sharing counts against it. |
How we gather the information
- We use the service. We complete the intake, note what is asked and what is not, and record the process end to end.
- We record the full pricing path — the introductory offer, the renewal price, and what happens when a dose changes.
- We check the regulatory basics — whether a licensed clinician is involved, which pharmacy dispenses, and whether it holds relevant accreditation.
- We read the privacy policy in full and check for regulatory actions relating to health-data handling.
- We test cancellation. This is where services differ most, and it is where the most reader complaints originate.
- We benchmark against the non-commercial route — the same generic at a retail pharmacy with a discount card.
What disqualifies a service entirely
Some things are not a scoring deduction. They mean we will not list a service at all, and will not accept a commercial relationship with it.
- Selling prescription medication without a prescription.
- No licensed clinician involved in the prescribing decision.
- Claiming to cure erectile dysfunction, or making unsupported disease claims.
- Dispensing from a pharmacy that is not licensed in the patient’s state.
- Marketing supplements as equivalent to prescription treatment.
- Selling products that appear on the FDA’s tainted products list.
- Cancellation practices designed to prevent cancellation.
How commercial relationships are kept out of scoring
- Scores are set before any commercial discussion, and are not revisited because of one.
- No partner can pay for a rating, a verdict or inclusion. Ranking position can be bought, and is always labelled as such.
- A “Recommended” label cannot be bought either. It is a separate editorial call from the score and always names the reader it applies to — see what each label means.
- Non-paying options remain in the line-up and are labelled. Our highest-scoring recommendation currently pays us nothing.
- Every review states plainly whether the service is a paid partner.
- If a partner changes in a way that lowers its score, the score goes down.
See how we make money for the full picture.
The limitations of these reviews
Three things we cannot do, stated plainly:
- We cannot assess clinical outcomes. We can assess process, not whether a particular service made anyone better.
- Our experience is a sample of one. Intake quality varies by clinician and by state.
- Pricing moves constantly.Treat every price on this site as an estimate dated to the page’s update date, and verify before buying.
If you have had an experience that contradicts a review, tell us: editorial@edtreatmentguides.com.