PAUSE AND CHECK · RED FLAGS
Pause when the path cannot be checked
A red flag is a reason to slow down and verify. Several flags together make the answer clearer.
Stop at these gaps
- No prescription is required.
- No clinician name appears before payment.
- No pharmacy name is available.
- Intake is just a static questionnaire, and nobody asks you anything further.
- A compounded medicine is called approved by FDA or generic.
- A product labelled “for research use only” is described as helping people who take it.
- The package is damaged, warm when refrigeration is required, or carries a pharmacy name that cannot be verified.
As of September 2026, FDA lists “no prescription” and “not licensed by the patient’s state board” among the clearest signs of an unsafe online pharmacy.
FDA online-pharmacy checklistAs of September 2026, FDA has reported fake compounded GLP-1 labels listing pharmacies that were not real or had never made the product.
FDA weight-care concernsAs of September 2026, FDA says compounded medicines lack FDA approval and do not get an FDA check for safety, effectiveness, or quality before sale.
FDA compounded-drug overviewWhat to do with the pause
- Save the exact claim or label.
- Ask for the missing name or licence.
- Check the public record.
- Leave if the answer stays hidden or changes.