PatientNow vs Karpa: Telehealth Platform Comparison (2026)
PatientNow vs Karpa: compare physician model, pharmacy integration, and program depth for peptide and GLP-1 telehealth clinics.
Last reviewed: October 15, 2026
TL;DR
PatientNow is a aesthetic medicine EMR built for med spas, plastic surgery, dermatology, weight-loss, IV therapy, and multi-location aesthetic 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.
Karpa Health
- Starting price
- $297/mo
- plus a one-time implementation fee
- Time to launch
- 7–30 days
- about 7 with your own website and LegitScript certification; about 30 when Karpa builds the website
PatientNow
- Starting price
- Standard, Amplify, and Catalyst AI tiers
- Time to launch
- Not published
About PatientNow
- Founded
- 2004
- Funding
- Private; backed by Providence Strategic Growth and Blue Star Innovation Partners since 2020; amounts not disclosed
- Notable Clients
- William Beeson, M.D. (Beeson Cosmetic Surgery); Denver Vein Center / Evexias Denver; Franklin Skin and Laser; Touch MedSpa; Atagi Plastic Surgery (named on homepage)
At-a-Glance Comparison
Side-by-side comparison across features, pricing, and business model.
Karpa wrote this comparison and is one of the two platforms compared. Every competitor fact comes from a public source cited at the end of the page, reviewed October 15, 2026. “Not publicly specified” means we could not verify that detail from a public source.
Spot something wrong or out of date? Contact us with a public source, and we’ll review it and update the page.
| 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, plastic surgery, dermatology, weight-loss, IV therapy, and multi-location aesthetic practices |
| Physician Model | Karpa's 50-state network of independent licensed providers prescribes for every program, sync and async | Your physician charts |
| Peptide Support | Primary focus with dedicated workflows | No peptide-specific workflows |
| GLP-1 Support | Primary focus with dedicated workflows | Weight-loss specialty with GLP-1 therapy tracking in eRx; no pharmacy fulfillment |
| Pharmacy Integration | Direct integration with our compounding pharmacy partners | Embedded eRx to any Surescripts pharmacy, EPCS (Schedule II-V) with PDMP, custom compound formulary; no pharmacy fulfillment |
| Pricing | Launch plan $297/mo plus a one-time implementation fee (custom website, patient portal, signup forms); Growth and Scale shared on a call; custom EMR quote | Standard, Amplify, and Catalyst AI tiers; no published prices (quote required) |
| BUSINESS MODEL | ||
| White-Label Branding | — | |
| Pass-Through Pricing | — | |
| Patient Ownership | ||
| You Are Merchant of Record | ||
| Bring Your Own Pharmacy | — | |
| LegitScript Certified | ? | |
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. PatientNow reports that 70% of patients returned within 190 days after practices turned on recall.
PatientNow is actively expanding into weight loss and hormone replacement, and its embedded eRx now tracks GLP-1 and HRT therapies. Those capabilities sit inside an aesthetics-first EMR rather than a program-launch platform. 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
- AI Scribe included on all plans
- Recura AI front desk for lead calls and booking
- Expanding into weight loss and hormone replacement verticals
- More than 5,000 active locations
- Long track record with 20+ years serving aesthetic practices
Limitations
- No compounding pharmacy fulfillment (eRx only)
- No peptide-specific clinical protocols or program workflows
- No pharmacy fulfillment or GLP-1/peptide program-launch tooling
PatientNow or Karpa: Who Each Is Best For
Who PatientNow is best for
PatientNow is a strong choice for med spas, plastic surgery, dermatology, weight-loss, IV therapy, and multi-location aesthetic practices.
PatientNow is an EMR and practice management system for aesthetic and wellness practices, with AI Scribe on every plan, before-and-after photo documentation, marketing automation, and embedded e-prescribing that tracks GLP-1 and HRT therapies. It does not include compounding pharmacy fulfillment or tools for launching peptide or GLP-1 programs.
Who Karpa Health is best 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 network of independent licensed providers
Operators already running on Karpa have left reviews on G2 and Capterra. Read the Karpa Health reviews, quoted word for word with the reviewer, the date and a link to each source.
Explore Karpa's Programs
You are deciding between PatientNow and Karpa. The next step is seeing how a Karpa program runs under your own brand.
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.
- 01
Initial Consultation
Book a gameplan session to map your current workflows to Karpa's platform.
- 02
Platform Setup
Karpa configures intake forms, protocols, pharmacy connections, and your branding.
- 03
Go Live
Live in about 7 days with your own website and LegitScript certification, with one-click pharmacy fulfillment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does PatientNow cost?
PatientNow pricing, as of October 15, 2026: Standard, Amplify, and Catalyst AI tiers; no published prices (quote required). For comparison, Karpa Health publishes its starting price: the Launch plan is $297/mo plus a one-time implementation fee, month to month.
PatientNow reviews: what are the pros and cons?
This is Karpa Health's review of PatientNow, based on PatientNow's own public materials as of October 15, 2026. Karpa competes with PatientNow, so weigh it accordingly. Pros: Deep aesthetic medicine specialization with before/after photo management; Strong patient recall and retention marketing automation. Cons: No compounding pharmacy fulfillment (eRx only); No peptide-specific clinical protocols or program workflows. The full list, with a source for each fact, is on this page.
Can I switch from PatientNow to Karpa Health?
Yes. Karpa's onboarding team migrates your patient records, active prescriptions, and refill schedules, so current patients keep their refills without starting over; continuing prescriptions are reviewed by independent licensed providers in Karpa's network. We rebuild your intake, checkout, and patient portal under your brand, connect pharmacy fulfillment, and handle LegitScript through our Enterprise Certification Partner status (review within 2 business days). If you already have your own website and LegitScript certification, you can go live in about 7 days. Start by requesting an export of your patient list 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.
Does Karpa Health support med spas, plastic surgery, dermatology, weight-loss, IV therapy, and multi-location aesthetic practices?
Karpa Health is purpose-built for entrepreneurs and clinicians launching cash-pay GLP-1, peptide, TRT, and HRT programs. You don't need a medical license to launch. If your primary need is med spas, plastic surgery, dermatology, weight-loss, IV therapy, and multi-location aesthetic practices, PatientNow may fit. If you want to own the patient, set your own prices with pass-through pharmacy costs, and launch under your own brand, Karpa is the stronger choice.
What pharmacies does Karpa integrate with?
Karpa Health has direct integration with our compounding pharmacy partners for one-click prescribing. Prescriptions route to those partners automatically, so there is no pharmacy for you to bring or contract.
Do I need a medical license to use Karpa?
No. Independent licensed providers in Karpa's 50-state network prescribe, so non-medical entrepreneurs can launch without a license. You own the patient relationship, control the brand, and act as merchant of record.
How long does it take to launch a program with Karpa?
About 7 days if you already have your own website and LegitScript certification. If Karpa builds your website, plan on about 30 days: about 2 weeks for the site, then LegitScript approval, typically 14–21 days with Karpa (5 days at fastest). Karpa provides pre-built intake forms, clinical protocols, pharmacy connections, and patient communication templates.
References
Ready to launch?
Launch your white-label GLP-1, peptide, or hormone therapy brand, live in about 7 days with your own website and LegitScript certification. Pass-through pricing, your brand, your patients.
