Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about Poppy’s practitioner-guided herbal care, including how it works, what to expect, safety standards, pricing, and shipping.

Getting Started

Poppy provides personalized herbal care guided by licensed practitioners. Your practitioner reviews your health intake, determines whether herbal care is appropriate, and creates a custom formula designed around your symptoms, health history, medications, sensitivities, and treatment goals.

If approved, your care includes a complimentary practitioner consultation, a 30-day supply of custom-formulated herbs hand-blended to order, personalized dosing guidance, regular check-ins, formula adjustments as your needs evolve, and ongoing practitioner support.

Start by completing an online health intake. A licensed practitioner reviews your information to determine whether personalized herbal care is appropriate for you and may follow up with clarifying questions as needed. Care is provided asynchronously through the platform, so no scheduling or video visits are required.

If personalized herbal care is not appropriate, we will issue a full refund. If approved, your practitioner creates a custom formula that is hand-blended to order by a U.S.-based pharmacy partner and shipped directly to you, along with personalized dosing guidance.

Each month, you’ll complete a brief check-in so your practitioner can review your progress, assess any changes in your health, and determine whether your formula should continue as is or be adjusted. Care continues with ongoing practitioner support as your needs evolve.

Personalized herbal care is $149 per month. It is a bundled care service that includes a licensed practitioner’s review of your intake, a 30-day custom herbal formula blended to order, and personalized dosing guidance.

After your first month, each monthly care cycle also includes a brief check-in, during which your practitioner reviews your progress and any changes in your health to determine whether your formula should continue as is or be adjusted, along with ongoing practitioner support.

After checkout, a licensed practitioner reviews your intake and may request additional information if needed. You will receive your care plan summary by email within 1–2 business days. If personalized herbal care is approved, your custom formula is prepared and shipped, along with instructions for use and details about your first check-in. If herbal care is not appropriate for you, we will issue a full refund.

A licensed practitioner reviews your health intake before your formula is prepared. If they determine personalized herbal care is not appropriate for you, we will issue a full refund.

No. There is no required multi-month commitment. Personalized herbal care is billed at $149 per month, and you may cancel future monthly care cycles at any time before your next order is processed.

Your practitioner will also provide guidance on the expected duration of care based on your needs and progress, helping set expectations for what your care plan may look like.

Everyone responds differently. Some people notice early changes within 2–3 weeks, while more sustained progress may take 6–8 weeks or longer. Your practitioner will help set expectations based on your symptoms, goals, and treatment plan, then review your progress at each check-in to determine whether your formula should continue or be adjusted.

Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine uses specific parts of plants—such as roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, and bark—to influence how the body functions, similar to how familiar plant-derived substances like aspirin, caffeine, or fiber affect the body in measurable ways.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs are combined into formulas based on individual patterns and needs, allowing care to be tailored and adjusted over time. This whole-plant, formula-based approach supports balanced, gradual change rather than short-term symptom suppression.

Most supplements are pre-made products designed for broad use. Herbal medicine is more individualized: a licensed practitioner reviews your symptoms, health history, medications, sensitivities, and goals to determine which herbs may be appropriate, how they should be combined, and how they should be dosed. Rather than selecting a product from a shelf, your formula is hand-blended to order and can be adjusted over time as your needs change.

Conventional medications often target specific symptoms or biological pathways and can be essential for acute, serious, or life-threatening conditions. Herbal medicine takes a different approach, using combinations of whole plants selected, dosed, and adjusted over time based on the individual and how they respond. Herbal care is not a replacement for urgent or medically necessary treatment, and your practitioner may recommend that you continue working with your existing medical providers.

In many cases, herbal medicine may be used alongside conventional care. It is important to provide complete and accurate information about your health history, current medications, supplements, allergies, sensitivities, and treatment goals so your practitioner can assess whether herbal care is appropriate and identify potential interactions or contraindications. Your practitioner may request additional information when needed. Never stop, start, or change prescribed medication without guidance from the clinician who manages that medication.

Practitioner Review, Safety & Privacy

Poppy formulas are designed and reviewed by licensed practitioners with active U.S. state licensure and NCCAOM board certification in Chinese Herbology (Dipl. C.H.) or Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.). Each practitioner has formal training in Chinese herbal medicine and clinical experience in pattern differentiation, formula design, and ongoing modification. Every formula is reviewed by a practitioner before it is prepared.

Herbal formulas are not one-size-fits-all. Herbs contain active compounds, and the herbs, combinations, preparation, and dosing that may be appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another.

A practitioner reviews your symptoms, full health history, medications, supplements, and current needs to help identify potential interactions or contraindications and determine whether herbal care is appropriate. Review also helps ensure that your formula is selected, dosed, and adjusted thoughtfully over time.

In many cases, yes. Your practitioner reviews your health history and current medications to help ensure your formula is appropriate and safe.

It’s important to include all medications and supplements in your intake so your practitioner can make any necessary adjustments.

Yes. All herbs used in a Poppy formula are tested for purity, potency, and safety, including screening for pesticides, pollutants, microbial contaminants, and heavy metals.

Testing includes multiple quality checks, including independent third-party testing in the United States. Only batches that meet strict quality standards are used.

Yes. Our herbal extract suppliers test for individual heavy metals—including lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium—using scientifically validated methods aligned with U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

We take privacy seriously and use HIPAA-grade security and encryption standards to protect your personal health information. Intake data, practitioner notes, and communications are encrypted and stored on secure systems designed for handling sensitive health information.

Access to your information is limited to your practitioner and essential pharmacy staff for care purposes only. Poppy does not sell or share personal health data for marketing.

Your Formula & Ongoing Care

Poppy formulas are prepared as custom herbal extracts, available as granules or capsules depending on your preference. Granules dissolve easily in water and allow for precise dosing, consistent potency. Capsules offer a simple, portable option for those who prefer not to mix a drink.

Treatment is simple and designed to fit into daily life. Most people take their formula once or twice daily, either mixed into warm water as a drink or in capsule form, depending on their preference. Your practitioner provides personalized dosing instructions based on your formula and goals.

Consistency matters more than complexity. Taking your formula as directed and reaching out with questions allows your practitioner to monitor your response and adjust your care over time.

Each month, you’ll receive a brief check-in through the platform. Your practitioner reviews your progress, responses, and any relevant changes in your health, medications, supplements, or goals to determine whether your formula should continue as is or be adjusted. If a change is needed, your next formula is updated before it is prepared and shipped.

Yes. Your formula can be adjusted as your needs evolve, and you may pause or stop future monthly care at any time. To avoid being charged for your next formula, please contact us before your next order is processed. Your practitioner can also help guide whether it makes sense to continue, adjust, pause, or end care based on your progress and goals.

Support continues beyond delivery. You can reach out with questions, and your practitioner will guide next steps as appropriate.

Billing, Monthly Care & Shipping

Personalized herbal care is billed at $149 per month. Your first payment is collected at checkout and includes practitioner review, a 30-day custom formula if approved, personalized dosing guidance, and ongoing support. Future care cycles are also $149 and include a practitioner check-in and any formula adjustments needed before your next formula is prepared.

You will be charged when your practitioner has reviewed your check-in and confirmed that your next formula is ready to be prepared. Timing may vary slightly based on your personalized daily use and formula.

Yes. You may cancel future monthly orders at any time before your next order is processed. To avoid a charge or preparation of your next formula, contact us before your next order is confirmed.

Once your practitioner completes your review, your formula is typically filled and shipped within 1-2 business days.

You’ll receive tracking information as soon as your order ships.

Because each formula is custom-made and hand-blended to order, orders can only be canceled or changed before preparation begins. Please contact us as soon as possible after receiving your order confirmation. Once preparation has started, the order can no longer be canceled or changed.

If your order arrives damaged, incomplete, or incorrect, please contact us right away. We’ll promptly replace the affected items at no cost.

If you experience any unexpected or adverse reaction, stop taking your formula immediately and contact your practitioner. Our team will review your case, and a licensed practitioner will assess whether an adjustment, replacement, or partial credit is appropriate.

Your safety and well-being are our top priority, and every report is reviewed carefully before determining next steps.

At this time, Poppy ships only within the United States.