Pause when the details do not line up.

A prescription cannot be optional

A prescription is a medicine order from a health professional with permission to prescribe.

As of September 2026, U.S. law required this order before a pharmacy could give out a prescription medicine.

An approval claim needs to match the product

A custom-made drug described as FDA-approved is a false claim, under FDA guidance checked in September 2026.

A drug-making business can register with FDA, and a drug can appear on an FDA list.

As of September 2026, a business registration or drug listing did not establish FDA approval for either the business or its drug.

Ask for the exact medicine name and a record showing that FDA approved that product.

A research label does not make it treatment

In advice checked in September 2026, FDA warns people to avoid weight-loss products sold for human use with research-only labels.

Their contents are of unknown quality and may cause harm.

FDA’s warning on unapproved weight-loss products names the drugs retatrutide and cagrilintide.

FDA had not found either safe and shown to work for any illness, as of September 2026.

Ask whether either name appears in the program’s medicine list.

As of September 2026, FDA said federal law did not allow pharmacies or doctors to make either drug to order.

Check the pharmacy in a public record

FDA’s state search, checked in September 2026, links to your state’s list of licensed pharmacies.

FDA advises avoiding an online pharmacy that is missing from that state list.

Being on the list means the pharmacy has a state licence, or permission to provide medicines.

It does not show whether the pharmacy gives out medicines correctly.

Before paying, get the pharmacy’s full name.

An injection needs its own clear instructions

In information checked in September 2026, FDA reported mistakes in the amount of made-to-order semaglutide used, with some people needing hospital care.

If any part of the label is unclear, ask whoever wrote the prescription to explain it.

Check storage for the exact product

Storage needs vary by medicine; not every peptide belongs in a fridge.

Ask the pharmacy how to keep this medicine at home and what to do if its delivery arrives damaged or too warm.

Severe allergic reactions need urgent help

Severe allergic reactions are emergencies and may include trouble breathing or swelling of the face, tongue, or eyes.

Call 911 for severe symptoms, according to MedlinePlus information checked in September 2026.

Patients can also use MedWatch, FDA’s service for reporting medicine problems, as described in information checked in September 2026.