Check a claim before trusting it
Which answers call for a pause?
When the answer stays vague, slow the decision. Ask for the name, the record or the written terms that would settle it.
Put the claim beside the check
Ask about
What the answer needs to cover
No prescription needed
A pharmacy needs a prescription from someone allowed by law to prescribe before it supplies a prescription medicine. This was the US rule in September 2026.
FDA registered
FDA means the US drug agency.
FDA registration means a business is recorded with the agency. It does not prove the business or its medicine has FDA approval. That distinction applied in September 2026.
The same as an approved drug
Compounded means a medicine made or mixed to order.
A generic is a copy approved to match a brand medicine.
In September 2026, FDA said a compounded drug should not be called a generic or presented as matching an approved drug; it considered those descriptions misleading.
A research-only label
FDA warned in September 2026 about unapproved drugs for people hidden behind research labels.
It described their quality as unknown and said they could be harmful.
The problem is the unsupported claim. Check the record and the actual product rather than relying on the wording of an advert.
Check the pharmacy named on the label
FDA reported in September 2026 that some fake medicines mixed to order named pharmacies that did not exist.
Other false labels used a real pharmacy’s name even though it had not made the product.
Ask who makes and sends the medicine. Match the name to the state pharmacy record. A label cannot do that check for you.
Check how payment is demanded
The Federal Trade Commission flags demands to pay only by bank transfer, gift card, payment app or cryptocurrency (digital money).
Its July 2026 warning says someone insisting on these ways to pay is probably a scammer.
A low price alone does not prove a problem; legitimate cash and generic prices can also be much lower than list prices.
Compare the price after checking who prescribes, who makes and sends the medicine, and how your health and questions will be reviewed.
Ask for a clearer answer
- Where can I check that licence?
- Where can I check FDA approval for this exact medicine?
- How can I ask the prescriber questions after the medicine arrives?
- Where are the cancellation and refund terms?