Slow down when an answer is missing.

An offer that skips the prescription

As of September 2026, US federal law requires a prescription from a person legally allowed to prescribe that medicine before it can be supplied.

A pharmacy name that cannot be checked

In information checked in September 2026, FDA describes fraudulent labels for compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide that give the names of nonexistent pharmacies.

Ask for the name before agreeing to the plan. Match it to the state board’s licence record.

No way to ask after the medicine arrives

FDA’s consumer checklist flags services where no licensed doctor is available to answer questions after you receive the medicine.

Ask how to get medical help after the visit before committing. An answer about billing does not answer a medical question.

A made-to-order product called approved

A compounded medicine is made to order.

A generic has approval as a version of a brand-name medicine; it is different from a preparation made to order.

FDA says calling a made-to-order drug FDA-approved is false or misleading, as of September 2026. It also warns against calling it a generic version or the same as an approved product.

Ask for the product’s actual status, rather than accepting the wording of an advert.

A research label beside treatment promises

In letters reviewed in September 2026, FDA looked at products labelled “for research use only”. It said the businesses were still offering those products for people to take.

Those letters contain allegations against particular businesses, rather than court findings.

Treat that label as a reason to ask about the product’s status. A mixing guide cannot replace a review of your health.