Find the actual pharmacy
The FDA's guide to made-to-order medicine points out that online care can leave patients unaware of who made their product.
- Ask for the pharmacy sending the medicine and any separate maker.
- The FDA's state pharmacy lookup offers a link for every state's list of pharmacies holding licences. Licensed means the state has given the pharmacy permission to operate.
- Search that list for the pharmacy's name. FDA guidance says to avoid an online pharmacy if its name is missing from your state's list.
Read past the seal on the website
The Federal Trade Commission, the US agency for consumer protection, warns that website seals and promises to give your money back can be faked.
- Compare the pharmacy name in the record with the name supplied by the service.
- FDA registration means a place making medicine has filed its details with the agency. On September 26, 2026, registering with the FDA did not mean FDA approval for the place making medicine or for its product.
- Ask which contact method lets you put a product question to a pharmacist.