Knowing where a medicine came from matters. So does knowing whether that medicine is appropriate for the person receiving it. Both the source and the prescribing decision need review.
FDA’s online-pharmacy guidance identifies four practical checks: a required prescription, a physical U.S. address, pharmacy licensing in your state and the state where it operates, and access to a licensed pharmacist.[1]
What source checks can establish
Those details help distinguish a pharmacy from a website that only looks like one. FDA warns that unsafe online sellers may provide products with incorrect ingredients, too much or too little active ingredient, or no active ingredient at all.[1]
A polished storefront or photograph of packaging is therefore weaker evidence than a pharmacy license that can be checked through the relevant state board.
What they cannot establish
A product’s authenticity does not establish its suitability for a particular use. FDA-approved labeling describes the condition treated, how the drug is used and relevant safety information. Using an approved medicine outside that labeling is a separate clinical decision; FDA has not determined it safe and effective for that unapproved use.[2]
For example, choosing a weight-management medicine involves medical history, other medications, possible adverse effects, expected benefit and practical considerations such as cost. NIDDK describes that choice as individualized, rather than a decision made from weight alone.[3]
The distinction also applies to compounded preparations, which are not FDA-approved and do not receive FDA premarket review for safety, effectiveness and quality.[4]
Source verification answers where a product comes from. A prescription assessment addresses why that product is being considered, which risks apply and how its effects will be evaluated.
