Red flags that earn a hard stop
One warning sign may be enough to pause. Several together are a reason to close the page and use official records instead.
No prescription, no deal
As of September 2026, federal law makes it illegal to sell a prescription-only medicine to a buyer who lacks a prescription.
- The page offers prescription medicine with no prescription.
- The product says “research use only” but comes with mixing supplies or a guide for human use. In warning letters, the FDA has said that selling it with those extras shows it is meant for people to use as a drug.
- The pharmacy on the label cannot be found. FDA has found products labeled with the names of pharmacies that turned out not to exist, or that had never made the product.
The visit
A form is not a real check-up
- No doctor or other medical provider is named.
- No one can ask a follow-up question. A prescription based only on an online questionnaire, with no one asking you questions, falls short of the national medical boards’ policy for online care.
- No follow-up path is explained.
Approval words are easy to misuse
- A compounded drug is called FDA-approved. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved.
- An NDC number is offered as proof of approval. It is only an ID number on an FDA list, not an approval.
- A seal or logo on the page stands in for a licence record. Check the state record directly.
Watch how the seller wants money
The Federal Trade Commission calls it a scam pattern when a seller will only take a bank transfer, a wire, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or a gift card.
- Save screenshots and receipts.
- Do not send more money to “unlock” a refund.
- Use the Illinois licence search for the provider and pharmacy names.