What needs a closer look?

Is a prescription being skipped?

The medicine order from a licensed health professional is called a prescription.

Federal law bars pharmacies from supplying prescription medicine to you unless you have a valid prescription, as of September 2026.

An offer to skip that step calls for a pause and a check of the pharmacy's license.

Is a compounded product called approved?

Compounded describes a custom medicine prepared by a doctor or pharmacy.

Reviewing medicines is a role of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

An FDA approval claim for a custom-prepared medicine is false, as of September 2026.

The issue is the approval claim; compounding itself can meet a real care need.

Ask why the medicine needs to be made to order and which pharmacy will make it.

Can a polished page prove it is real?

The Federal Trade Commission says online seals, logos and refund promises can be faked.

The FDA also cautions that fake pharmacy pages can look like licensed storefronts.

Use the official name and license search rather than judging by the page alone.

Who explains handling and unwanted effects?

A peptide medicine may need to be kept cold or may stay at room temperature; storage depends on the product.

Look to that medicine's label and the instructions from its pharmacy for the right storage conditions.

By September 2026, reports to the FDA described people injecting the wrong amount of custom-prepared semaglutide. Some reports involved hospital care.

Have both the clinician and pharmacist explain the written product directions, including how to respond to a problem.

Can I report a medicine problem myself?

Patients and health professionals can both report product problems through MedWatch, the FDA's reporting service.

The FDA accepts reports through its online form.