Pause when these claims appear
Federal law, as of September 2026, requires the prescription to come from a person licensed to prescribe that particular medicine. A health-care licence alone does not give everyone that authority.
Compounded preparations are medicines made to order. They lack approval by the US drug agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
That label means the product is offered for research, not as an approved treatment. FDA has sent warning letters telling such sellers that their treatment offers involved unapproved drugs and broke the law.
Prescribing guidance from a group of medical boards called the Federation of State Medical Boards says patients need that chance.
The Federal Trade Commission, the US consumer protection agency, warns about sellers who accept only bank or wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps or gift cards. Cryptocurrency is digital money. Payment apps are programs used to send money from a phone. Demanding only these ways to pay is a scam signal.
Read the price alongside the other checks
FDA warns about online pharmacies whose prices are so low that they seem hard to believe. A low price alone does not settle the question; legitimate cash and generic prices can be low too.
Compare the licence, prescription requirement and pharmacy identity alongside the bill.
A polished page does not stand in for a public record
Scam pages can fake seals, logos and money-back claims, the Federal Trade Commission warns.
A pharmacy name on a label also needs a check. FDA has found false pharmacy details on compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide products.