Mail Order Testosterone: Legal TRT?

Looking for an online TRT clinic? Check out these options.

Being an American, the first thing I worried about when my doctor said I needed to be on TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) for the rest of my life was: How is this going to affect my health insurance costs?

Maybe you have health insurance, but they won’t cover testosterone injections unless the doctor gives them to you. Since most people can’t afford to take time off work every week to visit a doctor’s office, they’re stuck taking either Testim or Androgel or getting testosterone by other means.

Some choose to contact a mail order compounding pharmacy, get some independent lab tests done, and have a “phone consultation” with one of their doctors.

The Nuts and Bolts of DIY Testosterone Injections

If you think you might need TRT and haven’t been officially diagnosed as hypogonadal by a doctor yet there is an option that doesn’t involve the record-hungry healthcare system: Get the test done privately and pay in cash. You don’t need a doctor to read the test results. If your testosterone is low, contact a compounding pharmacy or hormone replacement / anti-aging clinic that doesn’t take health insurance. You can take the shots yourself in the privacy and comfort of your own home; it won’t be on your medical records; and you won’t end up spending much more than you would with co-pays to the doctor and pharmacy if you’d gone the traditional route.

The Legality of Mail Order Testosterone:

This is a gray area. Testosterone is a schedule III drug and is illegal to obtain without a prescription. The compounding pharmacies and male HRT clinics (also many anti-aging clinics) often have a doctor in-house that will interpret your test results and have a phone consultation with you. That doctor, who you never see in person, will prescribe your testosterone (as well as growth hormone, which is an even grayer area) and any other ancillary drugs (such as Nolvadex or Arimidex to prevent side effects like gynecomastia). They usually don’t accept insurance and will ship your HRT drugs out by mail within one week. SO… technically, you’re getting your drugs from a legal pharmacy, which also happens to have a doctor on staff to provide the prescription. I don’t think you’d have anything to worry about in court. The HRT or Anti-Aging clinic, on the other hand, might have some legal questions to answer should the DA or DEA ever decide to pay them a visit, which has happened in the past.

Tips on Ordering Testosterone Online
If you order testosterone online, follow these tips to stay as close as you can to being “legitimate” in the eyes of the American court system…

1. Never order from overseas
2. Always obtain test results from a legitimate lab showing abnormally low testosterone and/or growth hormone
3. Never deal with a compounding pharmacy,  HRT or Anti-Aging clinic that does not have a legitimate doctor on staff. Get the doctor’s name, find out what medical school they attended, and verify that they are still recognized by the appropriate boards.
4. Never send cash in the mail. A legitimate HRT clinic will usually accept credit cards, but if you feel uncomfortable with that you can send a check, cashier’s check or money order.

Please read this disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not an attorney. I am not qualified to dispense legal or medical advice. The information above are only my opinions and should not be taken as legal or medical advice. Always speak to a qualified attorney when you have legal questions. Always see a qualified health professional when you have medical questions.