---
title: "What Is a Good Faith Exam? Med Spa and Telehealth Rules"
description: "A good faith exam is the prescriber's evaluation before a prescription treatment. What California requires, how telehealth fits, and how Cuvo Health runs it."
canonical: "https://cuvo.co/glossary/good-faith-exam"
last-updated: "Oct 26, 2026"
---
**Definition:** A good faith exam is the medical evaluation a licensed prescriber performs before a patient receives a prescription treatment, such as an injectable at a med spa, to confirm there is a medical indication and that the treatment is appropriate.

# What is a good faith exam?

Before a med spa client receives a prescription injectable, or a telehealth patient receives a prescription, a licensed prescriber has to evaluate them. The industry calls that evaluation a good faith exam, and state law decides what it must include and whether it can happen online. Cuvo Health includes good faith exams on every plan, run by a licensed provider at no per-exam fee.

Published Oct 26, 2026. Facts reviewed Oct 26, 2026.

A good faith exam is the medical evaluation a licensed prescriber performs before a patient receives a prescription treatment, to confirm there is a medical indication and that the treatment is appropriate. The term is most common in med spas, where it is the step that comes before staff administer a prescription injectable. State law uses other words: California makes prescribing, dispensing or furnishing a dangerous drug without an appropriate prior examination and a medical indication unprofessional conduct (Business and Professions Code section 2242(a)), and any drug labeled Rx only is a dangerous drug there (section 4022(a)). On Cuvo Health, good faith exams are included on every plan, run by a licensed provider at no per-exam fee.

**At a glance**
- What it is: The prescriber's evaluation before a prescription treatment
- Where the term is used: Med spas, aesthetics and telehealth intake
- California's legal hook: An appropriate prior examination and a medical indication, BPC 2242(a)
- Telehealth: In California it need not be synchronous, if the standard of care is met
- On Cuvo: Included on every plan, run by a licensed provider at no per-exam fee

**What California law says about the exam before prescribing**

| Question | California answer | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Is an exam required before prescribing?** | Yes: an appropriate prior examination and a medical indication | BPC 2242(a) |
| **Can it happen by telehealth?** | Yes, including a self-screening tool or questionnaire, if the standard of care is met | BPC 2242(a) |
| **Must it be a live interaction?** | No synchronous interaction is required | BPC 2242(a) |
| **Is consent to telehealth required?** | Yes, verbal or written, and documented | BPC 2290.5(b) |
| **What if a seller ships without one?** | Up to $25,000 per occurrence for dispensing online without an appropriate prior exam | BPC 4067(a), (b) |

## 01. Why does a good faith exam matter for a med spa?

It is the step that makes a prescription treatment lawful. Neurotoxins and other prescription drugs carry the Rx only legend, which makes them dangerous drugs under California law (section 4022(a)), so each client needs an appropriate prior examination and a medical indication first, and treatment without one exposes the prescriber to an unprofessional conduct finding under section 2242(a). Who may perform the exam, and what a nurse may do afterward, are set by each state's scope-of-practice rules, so a spa operating in several states checks each one.

## 02. Can a good faith exam be done by telehealth?

In California, yes. Section 2242(a) says an appropriate prior examination does not require a synchronous interaction and can be achieved through telehealth, including a self-screening tool or a questionnaire, provided the licensee complies with the appropriate standard of care, and section 2290.5(b) requires documented consent to telehealth first. Other states write their own rules, and controlled substances add a federal layer: prescribing one by telemedicine without an in-person evaluation requires a real-time visit under 21 CFR 1307.41(c)(2).

## 03. How is a good faith exam different from a standing order?

A good faith exam is about one patient: a prescriber evaluates that person and establishes the indication. A standing order is about a population: a written protocol that lets trained staff act for any patient who meets set criteria. A med spa can use both: the exam to establish that a treatment is appropriate for the client and the protocol to direct how staff carry it out.

## 04. How does Cuvo handle good faith exams?

Good faith exams are included on every Cuvo plan and run by a licensed provider at no per-exam fee, drawn from 300+ board-certified MDs, NPs and PAs licensed across all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US territories and available 24 hours a day. Each exam routes to a provider licensed where the patient is located, with a first review as fast as 15 minutes. Consults are $25 when completed, with no revenue share.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: What is a good faith exam?**

A: A good faith exam is the evaluation a licensed prescriber performs before a prescription treatment to confirm a medical indication and that the treatment is appropriate; California's statute calls it an appropriate prior examination. On Cuvo, good faith exams are included on every plan at no per-exam fee.

**Q: Who can perform a good faith exam?**

A: A licensed practitioner with authority to prescribe the treatment, within the scope-of-practice rules of the state where the patient is located. On Cuvo, every good faith exam is run by a licensed provider licensed in the patient's state.

**Q: Can a good faith exam be done online?**

A: In California, yes: Business and Professions Code section 2242(a) allows an appropriate prior examination through telehealth, including a questionnaire, without a synchronous interaction, if the standard of care is met. On Cuvo, good faith exams run by telehealth on every plan, with live video available when a provider or a rule calls for it.

**Q: Does a med spa need a good faith exam before injectables?**

A: In California, yes: a prescription drug injectable such as a neurotoxin is a dangerous drug, so each client needs an appropriate prior examination and a medical indication before treatment, and other states set their own exam rules. Cuvo Health includes good faith exams for med spas on every plan, run by licensed providers.

**Q: Does a telehealth brand need good faith exams?**

A: Yes, in substance: a prescription follows the prescriber's evaluation of the patient, and states such as California require an appropriate prior examination by statute. Cuvo Health runs that exam through its licensed providers on every plan, at no per-exam fee and $25 per completed consult.

**Related pages**

- [Telehealth for med spas](/solutions/med-spas): Prescription programs under a med spa's own brand
- [Med spa ownership rules by state](/blog/med-spa-ownership-rules-by-state): Who may own and run a med spa
- [California telehealth requirements](/compliance/california): California's telehealth and licensing rules
- [Standing orders](/glossary/standing-orders): The protocol that follows the exam
- [Asynchronous telehealth](/glossary/asynchronous-telehealth): When an exam can be store and forward
- [Telehealth glossary](/glossary): Every term a telehealth founder meets
- [The best Qualiphy alternatives](/blog/qualiphy-alternatives): Per-exam services and the platforms that run the whole program

Canonical page: https://cuvo.co/glossary/good-faith-exam