This article is educational and does not replace medical advice. Prescription medication requires review by a licensed clinician and, when appropriate, a valid prescription. Compounded medications are not FDA-approved, and the FDA does not verify their safety, effectiveness or quality before marketing. Treatment eligibility is an individual clinical decision.
This page is maintained. Prices are re-read at source and dated; evidence is checked against the published trial. Newest across the site: news · research · corrections.
How to verify a compounding pharmacy
Quick answer
To verify a compounding pharmacy: confirm it is named, check its state license and any FDA 503B registration, confirm the prescribing clinician is named, look for disclosed concentration and formulation, and reject any 'research use only' product. Unnamed pharmacy equals red flag.
The checklist
- The pharmacy partner is named on the provider's site.
- Its state license (503A) or FDA registration (503B) can be independently verified.
- A licensed prescribing clinician is named.
- A real telehealth visit and medical review are required.
- Formulation and concentration are disclosed.
- There is no 'research use only' or 'not for human consumption' disclaimer.
Red flags
Unnamed pharmacy, no named clinician, questionnaire-only 'approval,' overseas gray-market sourcing, or research-chemical language are disqualifying signals.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if an online pharmacy is legitimate?
Confirm a named, licensed pharmacy and clinician, a real medical review, and disclosed formulation — and reject any 'research use only' product.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — labels and safety communications.
- Peer-reviewed clinical trials cited above.
- Our methodology and medical review policy.
How the dates on this page work. Manufacturer self-pay prices — NovoCare and LillyDirect — were re-read on the manufacturers’ own published price guides on 4 August 2026. Figures captured from third-party provider websites carry the date we read that provider’s page, which may be earlier; where it is, the row says so. We do not restamp a figure we have not re-read.