Pause when the answers do not add up.

A prescription medicine needs a prescription

In September 2026, supplying prescription medicine without a valid prescription was a violation of federal law in the U.S.

FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, lists no-prescription offers among its online-pharmacy warning signs.

For research-labelled weight-drug products marketed to people, FDA warns that quality is unknown and the contents could cause harm.

A label saying research use only does not answer how a person would receive proper care.

Read the approval claim word by word

A business appearing in FDA’s records, or a medicine having a product number, did not mean FDA approval, as of September 2026.

By September 2026, FDA had seen labels on compounded tirzepatide and semaglutide products that gave the names of nonexistent pharmacies.

Ask for the pharmacy name and check the state record before accepting a badge as an answer.

Look at how the payment is requested

The Federal Trade Commission’s July 2026 alert says a seller is likely a scammer if they say you can pay only in these ways.

These include bank or wire transfers, cryptocurrency (digital coins used as money), payment apps and gift cards.

Unusually large discounts belong on FDA’s warning-sign list. Price alone, however low, does not prove a scam.

Read the written terms. Ask what you are paying for, what happens if no medicine is prescribed, and how a recurring charge ends.

• Can I verify the clinician for the place where I will be?
• Can I name and check the pharmacy?
• Can I ask the clinician a follow-up question?
• Can I see the full payment terms before paying?