Which follow-ups work by video?
The split follows a simple rule: anything that needs blood, hands or equipment happens in person, and anything that is a conversation can often happen remotely.
| Follow-up | Remote? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reviewing labs already drawn | Often | The numbers can be discussed anywhere |
| Side-effect or symptom check | Often | Unless something needs to be examined |
| Testosterone, hematocrit or PSA draw | No | Blood has to be drawn |
| Blood pressure check | Partly | Home readings can be shared, but they should be accurate |
| Pellet insertion | No | It is a procedure |
| First injection lesson | No | Technique is taught hands-on |
| Breast tenderness, swelling or a lump | No | These need an exam |
Blood pressure matters more than it used to. The FDA’s 2025 class-wide labeling changes added blood pressure warnings to testosterone products, and the Kyzatrex label asks for periodic blood pressure checks. A home cuff turns a video call into a more useful check-in.
How do California rules shape telehealth?
California treats a video visit as real medical care, with real obligations. The Medical Board of California states that the standard of care is the same whether a patient is seen in person or through telehealth. That means a clinician who cannot properly assess a problem on screen should bring you in.
Two more rules follow from the board’s guidance. Consent to telehealth may be given verbally or in writing and must be documented. And physicians using telehealth to treat patients located in California must hold a California license, which is why your location during the call matters.
Where do federal rules come in?
Testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance, so remote care falls under the Ryan Haight Act as well as state rules. That law generally requires at least one in-person medical evaluation before a practitioner manages a controlled medicine remotely.
Pandemic-era exceptions have relaxed that requirement since 2020. According to the Federal Register notice, the fourth extension runs through December 31, 2026. If you were first evaluated in person by the clinician managing your TRT, the deadline matters less for you. Our article on DEA telehealth rules for testosterone tracks what could change.
How often do follow-ups need labs anyway?
Regularly, which caps how remote any testosterone plan can be. The AUA guideline recommends measuring testosterone every 6 to 12 months on treatment and checking hematocrit on a similar schedule, sooner when earlier values were high. On Kyzatrex, the label advises checking hemoglobin or hematocrit about every 3 months.
So even a mostly remote plan includes a few in-person draws a year, more in the first months. Our page on how often you need blood work on TRT lays out the usual rhythm, and our answer on how many visits TRT takes in the first year counts them.
Related question: is online-only TRT the same thing?
Not quite. A telehealth follow-up is one visit type inside a plan that also includes labs and exams. An online-only program tries to run the whole plan remotely, which raises different questions about lab timing and who examines you. Our comparison of online TRT and in-person clinics covers that choice.
Follow-ups at Ultimate Male
Every testosterone plan at Ultimate Male begins with on-site labs and a one-on-one consultation with a PA-C or MD at San Gabriel or Downey. Which later follow-ups can be done remotely depends on your plan, your form of testosterone and how steady your results are, so ask on the free 10-minute call or at your consultation rather than assuming.
Lab draws stay in person at either clinic, with results in 24 to 48 hours. To set up your first evaluation or a follow-up, call 626-319-5261 or book online, and see the testosterone therapy overview for the forms available.
