Source record
FDA guidance on online pharmacies
The FDA says a convincing online storefront can hide an unsafe pharmacy.
Read the sourceCheck the offer
Which claims call for a pause?
Check the claim that is doing the selling. Ask for the record behind it.
An offer that skips the prescription.
Federal law prohibits dispensing a prescription drug when there is no valid prescription, as of September 26, 2026.
Ask who does the assessment and who issues the medicine order. A checkout screen does not answer either question.
An approval claim for a custom medicine.
A claim of FDA approval for a medicine prepared to order, called compounded, is false, as of September 26, 2026.
An “FDA registered” claim also does not establish approval of a facility or its products.
Ask which exact approval record supports the wording. Keep that question separate from a pharmacy’s permit.
“For research purposes” on medicine sold to people.
The FDA has warned sellers of weight drugs with false research-only labels, including “for research purposes” and “not for human consumption,” as of September 26, 2026.
Those sellers offered the drugs to people with instructions for taking them, despite labels saying they were for studies or not for people to take.
The agency says the drugs could harm health and that their quality is unknown.
Ask the health professional for the exact medicine name and the pharmacy supplying it. Ask for proof of approval rather than relying on a research label.
Official badges and unexplained low prices.
Health websites may display made-up guarantees or seals that look official, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The FDA flags extremely low online-pharmacy prices, but a low price alone does not establish that an offer is illegitimate.
Check the prescription process, license record and pharmacy identity together. Ask for the complete bill before weighing a discount.
The record behind the answer.
Source record
Health offers online
Read the checks behind official-looking claims.
Read the source