Check the names behind the offer

Get names you can check

Who will provide your care, and what qualification do they hold? Get that person’s full name. Also request the pharmacy’s name, even if the website advertises the service under a different name.

FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, notes that an online care service may leave patients unsure which pharmacy or business made their compounded medicine.

Compare a board record with a website badge

State medical boards keep doctors’ licence records and information about disciplinary action, such as a board penalty or formal charges; the public detail varies by state.

For doctors qualified as MDs or DOs, the directory of board websites from the Federation of State Medical Boards helps you find the right state board.

MD and DO are two kinds of medical degree. Find out which board issued the doctor’s licence. Does the record match the name and licence details the service gave you?

A clear record tells you the board has recorded no public disciplinary action, such as a penalty; it gives no rating of the doctor’s skill in this care.

Check the pharmacy in its own system

FDA’s pharmacy lookup page links readers to state board searches for pharmacy licences.

In most states, a pharmacy shipping medicine from another state needs permission from the state receiving it, as of September 26, 2026.

Under the federal registration rule, registering a business or listing its drugs does not give either one FDA approval, as of September 26, 2026.

Get an explanation for details that do not match before you accept the offer.