What if no prescription is needed?
U.S. law requires a valid prescription when a prescription medicine is dispensed, as of September 2026.
A prescription is the order from a licensed prescriber. Ask who performs the assessment that would lead to it.
What if the website looks convincing?
The Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. consumer agency, says official-looking seals and money-back guarantees on health sites can be faked.
Use the relevant board record rather than letting a badge finish the check.
Does a research-use label mean I can use it as medicine?
FDA, the U.S. drug agency, has challenged products labelled for research use only when their adverts showed they were meant for people.
In letters checked in September 2026, FDA accused specific sellers of breaking drug rules. Those accusations are not court decisions.
Do not treat a research-use label as an answer about whether the product may be supplied as medicine. Ask the prescriber to explain that product’s status.
What if the price looks very low?
FDA includes implausible discounts among pharmacy cautions, but a low price alone does not prove wrongdoing.
Check the prescription, pharmacy identity and licence as well as the full bill.
Does that claim hold up?
Does a product code certify that a drug is approved?
An NDC is a drug directory code; as of September 2026, receiving one does not confer FDA approval.
Can a custom medicine truthfully claim FDA approval?
As of September 2026, describing a compounded drug as FDA-approved is false or misleading under FDA guidance.
What can I take away?
Pause at a vague identity, a missing prescription or an approval claim that cannot be explained.