Join Pomegranate popped up in a conversation I was having with a client in the Simply Strong App the other day. My client was looking for a reliable company that she could use to get a couple of different healthcare prescriptions through, so she didn’t have to utilize multiple companies. To be honest, Pomegranate wasn’t the first company that came to my mind. In fact, I had yet to hear about this one.

I have researched and reviewed many different compounded GLP-1 providers over the past couple of years, as more and more of them have cropped up and as more people turn to GLP-1s for weight care. As a personal trainer and macro coach, I help women realize their healthiest bodies, and for some, adding the assistance of a GLP-1 makes all the difference in the world. 

The problem becomes: where to get your compounded medication? This is where I come in and try to help my clients (and you, my readers) navigate this very mucky industry. The truth is, not all providers are created equal, and there are definitely some red flags to be on the lookout for, as well as some considerations that you might not be aware of. 

In this article, I’m taking a look at Join Pomegranate, specifically at their compounded GLP-1 medication services. I saw some great things as well as some things that gave me pause - let’s discuss!

My Experience With Join Pomegranate 

The first thing I do when I start to review a company is take a look at their website as a whole and what they offer. Many of the companies that I research offer only compounded GLP-1 medications, but there are a few, like Hers and Pomegranate, that offer an array of prescription-grade medications for a variety of issues.

Pomegranate offers:

• Skincare
• Women’s Health (hormone and reproductive health, etc.)Men’s Health (erectile dysfunction, male pattern, baldness, etc.)
• Weight Loss
• Longevity
• Urgent Care
• Nutrition Counseling

Although I was coming to Pomegranate to research their GLP-1 products, I did spend a few minutes looking around at the other products they offer. The first thing I noticed was that some of their website pages appeared to be under construction or inoperable. The text was messed up and hard to see - it wasn’t a very professional, trustworthy look at all. It quickly became evident to me that the product they desire to sell the most is the compounded GLP-1s. 

I went ahead and clicked on the “Get Started” button for the compounded GLP-1 medications and began Pomegranate’s intake process. The first question they ask is whether or not you’re currently taking a GLP-1 (they ask this because a lot of times people switch to different providers based on product availability and pricing). If you select that you’re a new patient, you’ll start by having a live visit with one of Pomegranate’s providers. According to the quiz, it’s a brief live telehealth appointment that helps them to confirm your history, answer questions, and get you set up safely. I actually like this concept and think that a lot of new patients will find this to be very comforting. I know many people sign up for these telehealth companies and feel rushed through the process and as if they’re handed medication before they’re ready or even sure if it’s a good fit. Pomegranate’s policy of doing a telehealth visit for all new patients helps patients feel comfortable and supported.

If you happen to be coming to Pomegranate as a current GLP-1 user, you won’t need to do the telehealth consult (although you can if you’d like), but you will need to provide them with your current medication and dose. If you are unable to provide this information, they won’t be able to start you on your current dose; you would be required to go back to the lowest dose and start working your way back up. 

Once you get past this section, you’ll be asked for your identity and address information - name, date of birth, phone number, address, and a copy of your driver’s license. This is all very commonplace and standard stuff. Next, you’ll need to enter your payment information to pay for the $75 consult fee. This is where Pomegranate is a bit different from many other telehealth providers; most don’t require a consultation fee upfront. Since most people coming to Pomegranate are new patients that require a telehealth consult, they make sure their provider’s time and expertise are covered by charging the $75 non-refundable fee. If it’s determined that you aren’t a good fit for GLP-1 medication, you will not get the $75 fee back. However, if you do qualify for treatment, the $75 will be applied to the cost of your medication, so that’s good.

One thing I noted that was missing on Pomegranate’s intake form was any health history questions. Typically, you’ll be asked at least for some basic health history information - I didn’t even enter my height or weight, which is usually used by most providers to qualify you for treatment. Most telehealth GLP-1 providers will have you enter your height and weight so they can calculate your BMI and then pre-qualify you for treatment right on the spot. The BMI requirements are different across the board, but with Pomegranate, patients must have a BMI of 27+ with a comorbidity or 30+ to qualify. I found this information way down in the fine print, so it would be really easy to miss. This can be a big bummer for those who don’t have a high enough BMI and don’t find out that they don’t qualify for treatment until after they pay the $75 and speak with a provider. If you have a lower BMI (<27) and would still like to explore treatment options, I recommend checking with Josie or Willow. 

Another thing I noted when I was going through the intake was that they didn’t make any mention of treatment options or pricing. My assumption is that they would go over all of this on the call with the provider, but again, it’s nice to know these things up front so you don’t pay for a consultation and then realize that their prices are out of your budget. When I was first looking at their website, I saw that they advertise compounded GLP-1 (semaglutide) for as low as $90/month and compounded GLP/GIP (tirzepatide) for as low as $166/month. These prices are insanely low, and there’s no context for what’s entailed with these prices. Most of the time, a price that “starts at” something typically means that you would need to buy into the product/company long-term in order to get that low of a price, i.e. $90/month for a full year. I navigated to Pomegranate’s pricing page, and this is where things really get confusing.

It’s common for companies that offer compounded GLP-1s to let their customers know which compounding pharmacies they utilize; however, Pomegranate takes it a step further and breaks down pricing per pharmacy. This could potentially be good, especially if Pomegranate allows its customers to choose which pharmacy they want to get their medication from, but it also makes things very confusing. At the time of my writing this, Pomegranate has 5 different compounding pharmacies listed as partners, along with their specific compounding formula and pricing. Each pharmacy has totally different pricing, ranging from $119/month - $179/month for semaglutide and $179/month - $399/month for tirzepatide (but with multiple bundle options as well that would reduce the monthly cost). 

Even as someone who has been in this space for a while, I felt very overwhelmed with the options, especially not knowing if they would all be available to me. Again, I am assuming that this would all be discussed on the telehealth call, but I feel it’s a little bit of information overload. Plus, with pricing all across the board from these differing pharmacies, it begs the question: what’s the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive? If I go with the cheapest option, will I still get results? I didn’t see any options for microdosing from any of the pharmacies listed. If you’re looking for microdosing, I would check out Join Josie or EllieMD. 

Final Thoughts and Feedback

I saw a lot of positive things about Pomegranate, like the fact that they have new customers see a provider face-to-face, but also a couple of things that could be red flags. There are parts of their website that are messed up and unprofessional, and I really didn’t like the unclear pricing structure.

One thing that I’ve seen more and more as the benefits of using a GLP-1 as a tool on your metabolic health journey have become more public is that most companies are lowering the barrier to entry for those who would like to utilize GLP-1s. It appears that Join Pomegranate is still holding tight to the stricter guidelines that require you to have an obese BMI in order to qualify. As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I have worked with countless women who don’t quite meet the BMI requirements for GLP-1s but could have benefited from them on their journey. I am certainly not advocating for everyone to be on a GLP-1 medication, but I think there are special circumstances, especially as we age, that require additional assistance in conjunction with diet and exercise. 

I support GLP-1 use among those who are doing it responsibly and for the right reasons. My mission is to help educate those using these medications on how to build and maintain a healthy lifestyle that will not only allow them to make the most of their weight loss journey while on them, but to support their maintenance thereafter. If you’re on a GLP-1 or are considering it, I would love to welcome you to work with me inside the Simply Strong App for strength training, high-protein recipes, and community support. You can use the code “ACC” to get 50% off your first month in the app.