Karpa Health vs PatientNow: Which Is Better for Your Practice?
Karpa Health vs PatientNow compared for medical practices. See differences in physician model, pharmacy integration, AI clinical review, pricing, and more.
Quick Summary
TL;DR
PatientNow is a aesthetic medicine emr built for med spas and cosmetic surgery practices. Karpa Health is a turnkey platform for entrepreneurs and clinicians launching GLP-1, peptide, TRT, or HRT programs, with no medical license required. The key difference: with Karpa, you own the patient, you get paid first, and you launch under your own brand. With PatientNow, your physician charts.
About PatientNow
- Founded
- 2003
- Funding
- Not publicly disclosed
- Notable Clients
- Evexias Holdings (TRT/HRT clinics, 70% patient return rate reported); Dr. Stanley Okoro, MD, FACS (7-year customer)
At-a-Glance Comparison
Side-by-side comparison across features, pricing, and business model.
| FEATURE | Karpa Health | PatientNow |
|---|---|---|
| PLATFORM DETAILS | ||
| Platform Type | Turnkey program launcher | Aesthetic medicine EMR |
| Best For | Individual practices adding peptide, GLP-1, TRT, or HRT programs - and entrepreneurs launching 50-state telehealth brands | Med spas and cosmetic surgery practices |
| Physician Model | Your physician prescribes - or use Karpa's 50-state licensed provider network | Your physician charts |
| Peptide Support | Primary focus with dedicated workflows | No peptide-specific workflows |
| GLP-1 Support | Primary focus with dedicated workflows | Weight loss page but no dedicated program tools |
| Pharmacy Integration | Direct integration with Empower, Strive, Olympia, Belmar, BoomRx, RxAve Health | DoseSpot standard e-prescribing |
| Pricing | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Entry Point | Single practice | Single practice |
| BUSINESS MODEL | ||
| White-Label Branding | ||
| Pass-Through Pricing | ||
| Patient Ownership | ||
| You Are Merchant of Record | ||
| Bring Your Own Pharmacy | ||
PatientNow: What You Should Know
PatientNow has spent over two decades building practice management software for medical aesthetics and med spas. Its core strength is the RxPhoto before/after documentation system and the patient recall marketing engine that drives repeat visits. The Evexias Holdings testimonial (reporting 70% patient return rates after implementing PatientNow's recall feature) demonstrates real marketing value for aesthetics-focused practices.
PatientNow is actively expanding into weight loss and hormone replacement, which signals market demand but also highlights the platform's current gaps. Their weight loss and HRT capabilities are additive features layered onto an aesthetics-first platform, not purpose-built program infrastructure. A practice wanting to launch a GLP-1 or peptide program through PatientNow would still need to source their own pharmacy relationships, build clinical protocols, create intake workflows, and manage the entire program lifecycle manually.
For med spas considering Karpa Health, the decision often comes down to scope. PatientNow excels at managing the aesthetic side of the practice (scheduling, photos, marketing). Karpa Health excels at launching and running the cash-pay specialty programs (peptides, GLP-1, TRT, HRT). Many practices find value in using both.
PatientNow: Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- Deep aesthetic medicine specialization with before/after photo management
- Strong patient recall and retention marketing automation
- Expanding into weight loss and hormone replacement verticals
- Long track record with 20+ years serving aesthetic practices
Limitations
- No compounding pharmacy integration (DoseSpot e-prescribing only)
- No peptide-specific clinical protocols or program workflows
- No AI clinical triage or decision support tools
- Weight loss and HRT expansion is early-stage with limited tooling
Who PatientNow Is Best For
PatientNow is a strong choice for med spas and cosmetic surgery practices.
PatientNow is an EMR and practice management system built for aesthetic medicine. It includes pre-built HRT workflows and photo documentation features for cosmetic procedures. It handles e-prescribing through DoseSpot but does not include compounding pharmacy fulfillment, AI clinical triage, or tools specifically for launching peptide or GLP-1 programs.
Who Karpa Health Is Best For
Karpa Health is the platform for entrepreneurs, clinicians, and operators who want to launch a real telehealth business, not rent someone else's. Whether you're a licensed clinician adding cash-pay programs or a non-medical founder launching a 50-state brand, Karpa gives you full control.
- Pass-through pricing on pharmacy and provider fees
- You are merchant of record and get paid first
- Full white-label branding, patients only see your brand
- You fully own the patient relationship
- No medical license required, use Karpa's 50-state provider network
- Bring your own providers or pharmacies
Switching from PatientNow
PatientNow and Karpa Health serve different practice functions. Med spas typically keep PatientNow for aesthetic practice management while adding Karpa for specialty program launch, pharmacy integration, and clinical workflows.
Initial Consultation
Book a gameplan session to map your current workflows to Karpa's platform.
Platform Setup
Karpa configures intake forms, protocols, pharmacy connections, and your branding.
Go Live
Most practices are live within two weeks with one-click pharmacy fulfillment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I switch from PatientNow to Karpa Health?
Does Karpa Health support med spas and cosmetic surgery practices?
What pharmacies does Karpa integrate with?
Do I need a medical license to use Karpa?
How long does it take to launch a program with Karpa?
References
Ready to launch?
Launch your white-label GLP-1, peptide, or hormone therapy brand in under two weeks. Pass-through pricing, your brand, your patients.