Editorial Standards

Independence

PSI does not accept payment from any party in exchange for editorial content, evidence level classification, or placement on editorial surfaces. Editorial surfaces include compound pages, evidence grades, the FDA Status Tracker, comparison pages, conditions pages, and articles.

Order of appearance in compound indexes and the strength of PSI Verdicts reflect only the indexed research. A compound with robust Phase III data and an FDA indication receives a stronger Verdict than a compound with only preclinical results.

The physician directory is a disclosed commercial surface. Every physician who passes PSI five-gate verification receives a listing. Verification is not for sale.

Evidence methodology

PSI uses a four-level framework to classify the research behind every compound in the index. The framework is applied consistently and does not change based on how a compound is marketed or how widely it is used.

FDA Approved.

The compound has completed the full FDA regulatory process, including Phase III clinical trials. FDA approval overrides all other classification criteria.

Human Trials.

At least one human clinical trial has been published. Human data exists; the compound has not completed the full FDA approval process.

Animal Studies.

Research comes from animal models with in vivo data. No human clinical trials have been published. A compound with an ongoing Phase III trial that has not yet reported results is classified at this level, not Human Trials.

Preclinical.

Available data comes from laboratory experiments on cells or tissue samples, not living organisms. This is the earliest stage of investigation.

PSI Verdict fields

supportedByEvidence states what the indexed research has demonstrated. It names the specific applications with the strongest study support. It does not extrapolate. If a mechanism is well-established but human outcome data is limited, that distinction is stated.

notYetEstablished names the applications or claims that appear frequently in clinical or commercial contexts but lack sufficient indexed evidence. This field marks the boundary between what is known and what is not yet confirmed. Absence of evidence is noted. Absence of effect is not claimed.

confidenceLevel states the assigned evidence level and the basis for it. The level stated here matches the level assigned in the evidence framework.

Out-of-cycle evidence level updates

PSI updates evidence classifications when the indexed research warrants it. Four triggers require an update outside the standard review schedule:

• FDA approval, expanded indication, or formal regulatory restriction.
• Phase III trial results published.
• A major systematic review or meta-analysis published in an indexed journal. Single studies do not meet this threshold.
• A safety signal formally flagged by the FDA, EMA, or equivalent regulatory body.

What a lower evidence level does and does not mean

A lower evidence level reflects the current state of the published research. It does not indicate that a compound is ineffective. It does not indicate that a compound is unsafe. It indicates that controlled human trial data has not yet been indexed at the level required for a higher classification. PSI reports what exists and does not speculate beyond it.

Physician verification standard

Every physician listed in a PSI directory has passed a five-gate verification process. All five gates must be cleared. A failure at any gate ends the review. There are no exceptions.

1. Service confirmation. Peptide therapy or hormone therapy is explicitly named as a clinical service on the physician professional website or verified practice materials. Implied service offerings do not pass this gate.
2. Jurisdiction. The physician maintains a physical office within the metro area that a patient in the named city would reasonably drive to. The physician actual address is listed on their directory entry.
3. Board certification. The physician holds at least one qualifying board certification or credential. A physician without a qualifying credential does not pass this gate regardless of clinical experience, training, or reputation.
4. License and disciplinary status. Active medical license with zero board actions, verified through the relevant state licensing authority. Any board action of any kind ends the review.
5. Professional presence. The physician maintains a professional website with a visible bio, credentials, and services. A practice that cannot be independently verified through a professional site is not listed.

Qualifying board certifications

ABIM (Internal Medicine), ABFM / AOBFP (Family Medicine), ABOIM / ABIM Integrative Medicine, IFMCP, ABAARM (when held by MD or DO), OB/GYN with A4M fellowship (FAAFM/FAARFM), Cardiology (ABIM subspecialty), ABOM alongside ABIM, FACOG with FABOIM.

Credentials that do not qualify

Anesthesiology, Psychiatry, PM and R / Physiatry, General Surgery (FACS/DABS), Emergency Medicine alone, OB/GYN alone, NP/PA/DNP, Dermatology alone, Plastic Surgery, Radiology, Interventional Cardiology alone, Naturopathic (ND), Chiropractic (DC), NBPAS alone, Urology alone.

Board action rules

The following disqualify a physician from listing: any active disciplinary restriction, any remedial plan whether active or terminated, probation whether completed or active, and any citation issued. Terminated due to completion does not clear the record. There is no threshold of severity. Any board action disqualifies.

License verification sources

Re-verification and removal

Re-verification is triggered by license expiration, any public board action, or a material change to the physician practice or credentials. A physician who no longer meets the criteria is removed from the directory. There is no grace period.

Data sources

PSI indexes peer-reviewed evidence from published authoritative sources:

• PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) for primary literature.
• FDA Orange Book (accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob) for FDA approval status.
• DailyMed (dailymed.nlm.nih.gov) for FDA-approved drug labeling.
• ClinicalTrials.gov (clinicaltrials.gov) for registered and completed trials.
• State medical licensing boards for physician verification (sources listed above).

Corrections and updates

The Peptide Science Institute platform is in active development. Content is refined, restructured, and expanded as surfaces are completed. Material corrections during this phase are handled through info@peptidescienceinstitute.org. A public corrections log will launch with the platform formal release.

Post-launch, PSI will log material factual errors in published content within 72 hours of confirmation, with the original claim, the correction, and the source. Refinements, clarifications, and content expansions are not logged as corrections.

Evidence and the public record drive updates. Editorial standards are reviewed periodically, with out-of-cycle updates triggered by the events listed under Evidence methodology.

What PSI is and is not

For PSI identity boundaries including what PSI is not, see About Peptide Science Institute.

Contact

Editorial inquiries, corrections, and physician directory questions: info@peptidescienceinstitute.org.