Verbatim response from Claude
Picking a Legitimate BHRT Clinic
Red Flags to Avoid ("Hormone Mills")
- Prescribe identical high-dose protocols to everyone
- Skip comprehensive bloodwork or rely only on saliva testing
- Push pellet therapy aggressively (high-margin, hard to adjust)
- Diagnose and prescribe entirely online without physical exam
- Pressure sales of expensive supplements alongside hormones
What a Legitimate Clinic Does
Testing: Comprehensive bloodwork (serum testing) including full thyroid panel, sex hormones, metabolic markers - before and during treatment
Individualized dosing: Adjusts based on your labs AND symptoms, not a one-size formula
Credentialed providers: Look for board-certified physicians (not just NPs operating independently) with training through NAMS (menopause), The Endocrine Society, or A4M/AMMG
Specific Reputable Options
- Midi Health - telehealth focused on women's midlife health, physician-led
- Alloy - evidence-based menopause care, transparent protocols
- Your OB/GYN or internist trained through The Menopause Society (NAMS)
- Academic medical center menopause clinics (most rigorous)
Practical Tip
Cross-reference any clinic against menopausesociety.org's provider finder - those practitioners follow evidence-based guidelines.
Would you like more detail on any specific hormone type or treatment route?