A field note for your care search
A research label does not turn an offer into care.
Look beyond the fine print to what is being offered.
The mix-up
A research label makes a shortcut legitimate.
Pause at these signals
A prescription medicine without a prescription
Under federal law, a prescription medicine can only be supplied with a valid prescription. Source b
A pharmacy breaks that rule if it fills the order without a valid prescription. Source b
Approval claimed for a custom preparation
A compounded medicine has no FDA approval, even when the pharmacy itself is licensed. Source c
Compounded means a medicine prepared to order.
No way to ask later questions
FDA lists the lack of a licensed doctor to answer questions after delivery among its online-care warning signs. Source a
A price used to hurry the decision
Ask for the full bill, the exact medicine and the name of the pharmacy. Keep those questions together instead of judging the price alone.
A code is not an approval
A government directory uses the National Drug Code (NDC) to identify a product; FDA says this code does not establish approval. Source d
If a website points to a code, ask whether FDA has approved this exact medicine for the use being discussed. Ask to see the approval record, rather than just the code.
Return to a care conversation
Use the medicine’s name, a licence check and a clear follow-up plan as the starting questions. If an offer leaves them unanswered, keep looking for an explanation before deciding.
Sources for this note
Keep going
Questions after the visit