Pause at a no-prescription offer
As of September 26, 2026, a pharmacy needs a valid prescription to supply prescription medicine under US federal law.
Among its warning signs for an online pharmacy, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) names an offer without that prescription.
Ask who assesses the patient and who supplies the medicine.
Do not treat registration as approval
An offer may say “FDA registered”: a business has been recorded with FDA. Or it may show an NDC, short for National Drug Code, a number in a drug listing. As of September 26, 2026, neither a registration nor that listing number means FDA approved the medicine.
FDA also does not approve doctor offices or other health-care providers.
If a page uses an approval claim, ask what exact product and decision it refers to.
Question a research-labelled product
As of September 26, 2026, FDA says certain unapproved weight-drug products sold for people under research labels have unknown quality and may be harmful.
A “research” label does not answer whether the proposed care meets the rules. Ask for the source of the claim.
Check who will answer later questions
FDA warns about a weight-medicine service that has no licensed doctor to answer patients’ questions once the medicine has arrived.
Ask how to raise a question and who will reply before paying for a plan.
Read the fee terms alongside the care terms
Ask about repeated charges, cancellation and any separate medicine bill. Request the terms in writing.
If the answer remains unclear, leave the decision open while you check it.
Read beside this note
- FDA explains approval claims
Use this to separate an approved product from a claim about an office or a registration.
- FDA’s checks for online weight medicines
FDA’s checks help you ask whether the product matches its description, which pharmacy supplies it and whether a licensed doctor can answer later questions.