What needs caution?

Pause when these answers are missing.

For medicines available only on prescription, federal law requires a valid prescription as of September 26, 2026.

FDA’s pharmacy checklist, as of September 17, 2026, calls for a state licence and access to a licensed pharmacist for questions.

FDA also flags services that leave patients without a clinician to ask questions once the medicine has arrived.

Ask for the pharmacy’s full name. Check its public licence record, rather than relying on the look of a page.

Read what the product claim actually says.

As of September 26, 2026, an FDA-registration claim does not mean a drug or facility has FDA approval.

NDC means National Drug Code, a number used to identify a medicine on a government list. Having this number does not prove FDA approval as of that date.

If an offer points to an NDC number as proof, ask for the record showing approval of that exact medicine.

“Compounded” describes a medicine that a pharmacy or doctor makes to order.

As of September 26, 2026, FDA says compounded medicines cannot be presented as the same as an FDA-approved drug.

Ask for the actual product name and the public record being cited.

Be cautious about products labelled “for research.”

As of September 26, 2026, FDA advises against research-labelled products sold for human treatment. Their quality is not known, and these products could harm people.

FDA’s risk information, as of September 17, 2026, links poorly made custom medicines to germs or wrong amounts of the ingredient meant to do the work.

Ask the pharmacist to explain the label.

As of September 26, 2026, FDA reports medication mistakes with compounded semaglutide that sometimes led to hospital care.

Product information, as of September 17, 2026, sets storage directions for each medicine; there is no rule that fits every peptide.

Ask the pharmacist to explain unclear label wording and storage instructions. Keep that explanation with the product information.

When the concern is urgent

A swollen face or tongue along with trouble breathing may signal a severe allergic reaction.

As of September 17, 2026, MedlinePlus calls severe allergic reactions an emergency. For severe symptoms, call 911 or seek care at the nearest emergency room.

MedWatch is FDA’s reporting route for medicine problems, open to patients as of September 17, 2026.